spacetoday.net: Atlantis rolled out to pad

Posted: Thu, Sep 4, 2008, 9:26 PM ET (0126 GMT)
STS-125: rollout (NASA/KSC)

After delays caused by technical problems and threatening weather, NASA rolled the space shuttle Atlantis to the pad on Thursday. Atlantis left the Vehicle Assembly Building at 9:19 am EDt (1319 GMT), about 40 minutes ahead of schedule, and was locked down to launch complex 39A by about 4 pm EDT (2000 GMT). The rollout was scheduled for last Saturday but was first delayed because of additional work needed to be performed on the orbiter, and then because of concerns about Hannah, borderline tropical storm/hurricane in the Atlantic off the Florida coast. Shuttle managers decided to roll the shuttle out to the pad after forecasts showed Hannah would remain well off the Florida coast as it moved to the north over the next few days. Meteorologists, though, are keeping an eye on two other storms, Ike and Josephine, that could pose a threat to the Florida coast next week. Despite the delayed rollout, managers said they are still on track for an October 8 launch of the shuttle on STS-125, a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.