The upcoming launch on May 11 of Shuttle Atlantis marks the start of the long-awaited final servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. After being scrapped following safety concerns in the wake of the Columbia tragedy, then reinstated in 2006 by NASA, this repair flight was scheduled for last September before problems of the space telescope forced a last minute cancellation.

With the mission now possible again, the seven astronauts will, on five spacewalks, fit new science instruments, repair others and service the space telescope so that it can continue operating until at least 2014. Already proud of its achievements, NASA and ESA expect that the Hubble Telescope will be delivering even more valuable insights into the Universe.