Shuttle Atlantis entered the Vehicle Assembly Building at about 12:45 p.m. today, six hours after departing launch pad 39A.The 3.5-mile trip experienced no problems, ending more than an hour ahead of schedule.
The orbiter, its twin solid rocket boosters and external tank will remain stacked on their mobile launcher platform in High Bay 3 until early next year.
The fifth and final Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission is not expected to blast off until February at the earliest.
"Of course we always prefer a launch to a rollback, but the vehicle is in good condition and will be ready for the Hubble mission," Atlantis Flow Director Angie Brewer said today.
It is the third time in four missions that Atlantis has had to roll back from its launch pad, at least partially.
In 2006, the shuttle's return to the assembly building - nicknamed the "barn" by some managers - was stopped halfway after forecasts determined Tropical Storm Ernesto was a safe distance from Kennedy Space Center.
Last year, a February hailstorm damaged the orbiter's tiles and external tank.
This time, it was a computer glitch aboard the orbiting telescope that postponed the servicing mission and forced Atlantis' move, after a six-week stay on pad 39A.With Atlantis out of the way, Endeavour is set to take over the launch pad early Saturday.
Endeavour now rests on pad 39B, a short distance up the coast. The shuttle was standing by for a rescue flight if Atlantis suffered critical damage on the Hubble trip.
But Endeavour is now targeted for a Nov. 14 launch to the International Space Station, which will prepare the station to support six-person crews.
NOTE ON IMAGES: Click on the images to enlarge them, and click again for an even bigger view . Shuttle Atlantis today returned from launch pad 39A to the Vehicle Assembly Building today at Kennedy Space Center. Photo credit: Craig Rubadoux, FLORIDA TODAY.
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