Mirror Images

It's really taking a lot of self control right now not to bust out singing a popular Foreigner song from 1978. What you are seeing here is not the result of some fancy photoshopping. It really is two Space Shuttles ready on the pads at the Kennedy Space Center. This is the last time you will ever see this occurrence and the first time it's happened since 2001. The Space Shuttle Atlantis is in the foreground on launch pad 39A in preparation for its launch on STS-125 while Endeavour stands ready on launch pad 39B in case it is needed as a rescue vessel for Atlantis during its risky Hubble servicing mission set to launch October 10. STS-125 will be the first Space Shuttle mission not to rendezvous and dock with the International Space Station since the Columbia disaster in 2003. As the Hubble and ISS are in vastly different orbits, a docking with the ISS in case of an emergency heat shield situation will be impossible. This is why NASA managers have Endeavour ready to go, should it be needed. Once it gets the all clear from it's rescue standby, Endeavour will be rolled over to 39A for STS-126 to the ISS targeted around November 26. After it rolls off 39B over to 39A NASA will begin it's transformation of 39B into a future launch pad for Constellation missions.

CLICK HERE to see an ultra high-res version of the picture above.

[NASA]
Image Credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

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NASA Delays Shuttle Mission

NASA's final visit to the Hubble Space Telescope has been delayed at least a month due to the extra time needed to build the shuttle fuel tanks needed for the flight and a potential rescue mission. The Hubble mission is unique, in that it is the first non-ISS flight since the Columbia disaster in 2003. As such, should something go awry on the first shuttle's launch, a rescue shuttle would need to be launched to pick up the stranded astronauts. Up until this point, if a shuttle was damaged during launch, the astronauts could hang out at the ISS and not be in danger.

Atlantis and her crew were supposed to launch in late August but now won't make the journey until the end of September or early October.

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