T-(time) used in the rightmost column is time remaining until launch holds included as L-(time) given in the grey-hued column is time remaining until launch holds not included. A poll points to a special procedure used during countdowns. Decisions about countdown and launch are based on a poll process where NASA launches officers takes the advice of other members of the launch team
The STS-125 Space Shuttle mission is the Hubble Repair mission, the fifth and last ever servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope, delivering two new instruments and allowing for the space telescope to serve until in 2013. The liftoff is scheduled for Monday, May 11th at 2:01 p.m. EDT (18:01 GMT), from the launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center, in Florida
| Time EDT | L-(time) | Events |
|---|---|---|
| 4:00 a.m. | L-10:01 | the Mission Management Team met and gave the 'go' to fill Atlantis' External Tank with more than 500,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. Launch team is assembled at their consoles in Firing Room 4 of the Launch Control Center, just 3 miles from launch pad 39A |
| 7:30 a.m. | L-06:31 | the filling of the External Tank is now complete as both propellants will remain in stable replenish mode until the final minutes of the countdown |
| 8:30 a.m. | L-05:31 | countdown is now in the T-3 hour built-in hold as it is scheduled to resume some time after 10:00 a.m. Until now there is only a 10-percent chance that weather be a issue at liftoff time. The weather is hot and dry |
| 8:38 a.m. | L-05:23 | after a early wake-up call in the crew quarters, the mission's astronauts underwent a final prelaunch medical exam at about 6 a.m. |
| 9:11 a.m. | L-04:50 | the 7-member Final Inspection Team -or the 'Ice Team', is conducting a top-to-bottom examination of the shuttle and launch pad, inspecting the entire space shuttle stack -orbiter, external tank and solid rocket boosters- to locate any unusual ice buildup, debris or damage that could endanger the vehicle and crew after liftoff |
| 9:23 a.m. | L-04:38 | members of the Closeout Crew are inside the White Room, a room preceding the orbiter's hatch, making final preparations before the astronauts climb aboard. The team is joined by today's Astronaut Support Personnel, led by a astronaut. The Closeout Crew works in advance of the crew's arrival at launch pad and will be helping them to board |
| 9:32 a.m. | L-04:29 | in crew quarters, the Commander of the mission and his crew are to receive a weather briefing shortly from flight controllers at the Mission Control Center in Houston before they begin suiting up. As far as suiting is concerned, the astronauts will don the familiar, orange launch-and-entry suits. For that operation, they are assisted by suit technicians from the NASA's Johnson Space Center. That is taking place in the Operations and Checkout Building |
| 9:47 a.m. | L-04:14 | launch weather in Florida continues to be very favorable, with a 90-percent chance of permitting liftoff today. Keeping track of today's weather conditions aboard the Shuttle Training Aircraft will be the task today of astronaut Steve Lindsey, chief of the Astronaut Corps |
| 9:55 a.m. | L-04:06 | the astronauts are now donning their pressurized launch-and-entry suits in the Operations and Checkout Building. Technicians inside the White Room are making final preparations for the astronauts' arrival at the pad |
| 10:02 a.m. | L-03:59 | right on schedule, the Final Inspection Team members have reported they are preparing to leave Launch Pad 39A and have no issues to report |
| 10:11 a.m. | L-03:50 | the countdown is now resuming, by T-3 hours, after the end of the 2 &fraq12; hour built-in hold. Two more built-in holds are scheduled at the T-20 and T-9 minute marks |
| 10:13 a.m. | L-03:48 | stationed about 150 miles off the mid-Florida coast in the Atlantic Ocean, NASA's booster recovery ships, Freedom Star and Liberty Star, stand ready to retrieve and towing to shore the two solid rocket boosters which are falling back into the ocean some time into the flight |
| 10:14 a.m. | L-03:47 | today's launch team has a longer launch window than when for a launch to the International Space Station. The launch window is lasting 62 minutes, with the scheduled launch time at 20 minutes into the window, at 2:01 p.m. Weather is monitored too to the transoceanic abort landing site at Moron, Spain as only one such site is used today and the weather there with some earlier showers expected to clear the area by launch time |
| 10:16 a.m. | L-03:45 | the STS-125 astronauts are now making their way out of the Operations and Checkout Building where their crew quarters is located, a short distance to the silver Astrovan, modified Airstream motor home which will carry them to the launch pad on a 20-minute trip. The Astrovan has been in use since 1984. The vehicle is used only on three occasions for a mission, to the launch pad for launch dress rehearsal, on launch day, and after landing |
| 10:29 a.m. | L-03:32 | the Astrovan briefly paused at the Launch Control Center so that some of the management team could disembark |
| 10:36 a.m. | L-03:25 | the astronauts are now a the foot of Launch Pad 39A where shuttle Atlantis is standing. They are now to ride the pad's elevator up to the 195-foot level where the White Room crew awaits their arrival |
| 10:45 a.m. | L-03:16 | the Commander of the mission is the first to board the orbiter, from the White Room, strapping into the forward left seat on the flight deck |
| 10:53 a.m. | L-03:08 | during the next 40 minutes, the other members of the crew are entering, one by one, in the orbiter. The astronauts are seating either on the flight deck, or the middeck seats. Mission's pilot entered in the second position, taking the right seat on the flight deck. Once seated and strapped, all astronauts are doing a communication or "comm" check, to verify that they are in two-way communication with both the launch team at Kennedy and mission control at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston |
| 11:11 a.m. | L-02:50 | a 'Red Team' needs to be assembled to go to Launch Pad 39A. The three-person crew will verify the location of two shims from a side flame deflector in the flame trench that runs beneath the pad. Because of the location, camera views cannot provide the proper verification |
| 11:34 a.m. | L-02:27 | the last crewmember is installing into the orbiter. Since Atlantis is in a vertical position on the launch pad, the astronauts are actually reclining in their seats, facing skyward |
| 11:38 a.m. | L-02:23 | the Red Team dispatched to check two shims at the flame trench now leaving the pad and reports no issues |
| 12:08 p.m. | L-01:53 | hatch closure! With all seven astronauts now strapped inside shuttle Atlantis, the Closeout Crew is closing the orbiter's hatch. They are, after that, to perform hatch seal and cabin leak checks before leaving launch pad and leaving astronauts alone to wait for liftoff |
| 12:47 p.m. | L-01:14 | Space Shuttle Weather Officer Kathy Winters just updated the Launch Director on the forecast for launch time. The launch site weather continues to be positive. Conditions at today's transoceanic abort landing site at Moron, Spain are now 'go' as well |
| 12:52 p.m. | L-01:09 | the second built-in hold is beginning as the countdown clock now stands at T-20 minutes and holding. This is a built-in hold lasting 10 minutes, allowing for NASA Test Director to conduct final launch team briefings |
| 12:56 p.m. | L-01:05 | 4 members of the Final Inspection Team have been sent back to Launch Pad 39A to take a second look at some ice that is located on an umbilical on the left side of the launch stack. They are doing their inspection from the zero level of the pad |
| 1:01 p.m. | L-01:00 | countdown resuming! The clock is now coming out of the hold. There will be one last hold at T-9 minutes. Atlantis' onboard computers are being transitioned to launch configuration and fuel cell thermal conditioning has begun. The shuttle cabin vent valves are being closed |
| 1:10 p.m. | L-:51 | members of the Final Inspection Team are heading back from Launch Pad 39A after taking a second look at some ice that is located on an umbilical. The launch team at the Launch Control Center will take a look at their findings |
| 1:12 p.m. | L-:49 | final built-in hold at T-9 minutes! This is the final built-in hold allowing the Launch Director, the Mission Management Team and NASA Test Director to conduct their final 'go/no-go' polls. This hold is to last 40 minutes, bringing the countdown in alignment with a 2:01 p.m. liftoff. |
| 1:43 p.m. | L-:18 | Inspection Team members are currently briefing the Launch Director on their findings regarding the ice located on an umbilical line |
| 1:49 p.m. | L-:12 | Mission Management Team Chairman and NASA Test Director both polled their teams, followed by a final poll by the Launch Director. Atlantis is 'go' for launch! |
| 1:53 p.m. | L-:09 | the countdown now coming out of the hold, at T-9 minutes, with liftoff now recalibrated at 2:02 p.m. The automatic ground launch sequencer takes control of the countdown. During the final run to liftoff, a number of events take place to ready the shuttle for launch. The crew access arm is retracted, as well as the gaseous oxygen vent arm. The Space Shuttle three auxiliary power units are started and activated, along with data recorders inside the Launch Control Center's Firing Room 4 |
| 2:02 p.m. | liftoff | three... two... one... and... liftoff! As the orbiter's main engines ignited at T-6 seconds, building pressure up, the solid rocket boosters ignited at T-0 and the STS-125 mission is now roaring into space, to the Hubble Space Telescope, clearing the tower. The Mission Control Center at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston is now in directing the flight |
| into the flight | ||
| 2:03 p.m. | :01 | the shuttle now rolling into a head-down position along the climb and the orbiter's three main engines have throttled down to about 72 percent 30 seconds after liftoff, to alleviate the pressure upon the shuttle's structure. Now, at 1 minute after liftoff the engines throttle up again to 104 percent, bringing the vehicle to the peak of aerodynamic pressure called 'max Q' |
| 2:05 p.m. | :02 | solid rocket booster separation! The solid rocket boosters have burnt out and separated falling back to Earth toward the Atlantic Ocean, where the booster recovery ships, Freedom Star and Liberty Star, are stationed to retrieve them |
| 2:11 p.m.; | 08 | main engine cutoff (MECO)!right on time, we have main engine cutoff and the External Tank separation. Atlantis and crew have now reached the weightlessness of space. After 45 mn of coasting, the shuttle will fire two small Orbital Maneuvering System engines during two minutes, giving the final nudge to orbit! |
