STS-125 Atlantis HST SM4 Flight Day 3 Highlights [HD]

Using the space shuttle Atlantis robotic arm, Mission Specialist Megan McArthur grappled the Hubble Space Telescope at 12:14 p.m. CDT Wednesday as she and her crewmates orbited 340 miles above Western Australia.

The successful capture of the space observatory sets the stage for five spacewalks in as many days to repair and update instruments, extending its lifespan through 2014. The first spacewalk by Mission Specialists John Grunsfeld and Drew Feustel is set to begin at 7:16 a.m. Thursday.

STS-125 Commander Scott Altman guided Atlantis to within 50 feet of Hubble in preparation for the grapple, with help from Pilot Greg Johnson and Mission Specialist Mike Good. A planned maneuver to put Hubble in the right orientation for capture was cancelled due to communications problems, so Altman flew the shuttle into position, which delayed grapple about 20 minutes.

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