Cargo for the fifth and final mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope today is being installed in shuttle Atlantis' cargo bay at Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39A.United Space Alliance workers began loading operations at 8 a.m., and expect to complete the job by 8 p.m., when latches securing the payload will be closed.
Around an hour later, workers will begin establishing electrical connections between the shuttle and the payload.
The sensitive cargo includes a powerful new camera and ultraviolet spectrograph, plus new guidance sensors, batteries and gyrocsopes. Tools needed for complex repairs of two more science instruments - the Advanced Camera for Surveys and Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph - are also packed.
Click here for more detail about the cargo.
The installation was about two days behind schedule for the planned Oct. 10 launch of Atlantis, but senior shuttle managers on Wednesday recommended pushing the launch date back to Oct. 14. NASA executives will make an official decision on the launch date during a final flight readiness review late next week.
IMAGE NOTE: Click the images above to enlarge them. United Space Alliance workers install the Hubble payload into Atlantis' cargo bay this morning at Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39A. Photo credits: United Space Alliance.
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