The space shuttle Atlantis has been cleared for launch on May 11th by NASA according to USA Today. The mission will be the fifth and final one to service the Hubble Space Telescope.
The liftoff is scheduled for 2:01 p.m. EST.
The decision came after a poll at the conclusion of an executive-level Flight Readiness Review according to reports.
The Atlantis astronauts aim to outfit Hubble with two new state-of-the-art science instruments, repair two others and equip the observatory with new batteries and other gear that should keep it operating in orbit for at least another five to 10 years.
Led by veteran astronaut Scott Altman, the crew includes Gregory “Ray Jay” Johnson and five mission specialists: Megan McArthur, Michael Good, Michael Massimino, Drew Feustel and John Grunsfeld.
The crew is scheduled to arrive at Kennedy Space Center on May 8. A three-day launch countdown will start up that same day.
For those interested, you can follow Michael Massimino on Twitter. (http://twitter.com/Astro_Mike) He’s been updating the process of preparing for the launch and plans to try and Tweet from space (if he has time). Very cool stuff.