An diesem Tag vor 16 Jahren fand STS-125, die letzte Wartungsmission des Hubble-Weltraumteleskops, statt. Dies ist der Grund, warum Hubble heute in Betrieb ist und in den kommenden Jahren weiterhin operiert wird.

This was also the final time two shuttles were on pads simultaneously. Atlantis flew the mission and Endeavour stood ready in case the Atlantis crew needed rescue. If Atlantis was damaged on ascent (as Columbia was years earlier), the crew would not have been able to retreat to the safety of the ISS. NASA prepped the second shuttle as a precaution.

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