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THIS DAY IN HISTORY: NASA Launches Space Shuttle Atlantis From Kennedy Space Center, Final Service Mission to Hubble Space Telescope

By  //  May 11, 2025

On May 11, 2009, NASA launched Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-125, the fifth and final servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope.

BREVARD COUNTY • CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – On May 11, 2009, NASA launched Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-125, the fifth and final servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope.

This 13-day mission was pivotal in extending Hubble’s operational life and enhancing its capabilities. Astronauts installed two new instruments—the Wide Field Camera 3 and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph—and performed repairs on existing equipment, including the Advanced Camera for Surveys and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph.

These upgrades significantly improved Hubble’s ability to capture high-resolution images of the universe .