Will Not Affect Targeted October 8 Liftoff

A stuck pin is to blame for a slight delay in NASA's plan to move the shuttle Atlantis to the launch pad. The space agency announced Thursday this weekend's planned trip to Pad 39A has been postponed to no earlier than Tuesday, September 2.

NASA reports a metal guide pin jammed this week, as engineers prepared a liquid hydrogen line connecting the shuttle to its external tank. Crews finally freed the pin Wednesday night, but the extra work left little time to push Atlantis out the door of the Vehicle Assembly Building before the start of the Labor Day weekend.

The rollout, originally planned for Saturday, will now begin Tuesday morning at 12:01 am EDT. The delay will not affect NASA's planned October 8 launch of Atlantis on the STS-125 servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope.

During its 11-day mission that includes five spacewalks, the STS-125 crew of seven astronauts will install two new instruments in Hubble, as well as replace the Fine Guidance Sensor. The result will be six working, complementary science instruments with capabilities beyond those now available, and an extended operational lifespan of the telescope through at least 2013.

Atlantis will be commanded by Scott Altman. Gregory C. Johnson will be pilot. Mission Specialists will be John Grunsfeld, Mike Massimino, Megan McArthur, Andrew Feustel and Michael Good.

FMI: www.nasa.gov/shuttle