NASA has delayed the final repair mission to the Hubble Space Telescope for up to five weeks. The delay is to allow the use of a new external tank on the mission-- a tank redesigned to limit foam shedding after the 2003 Columbia tragedy.
The Hubble mission is the big exception to the approach of concentrating on finishing the construction of ISS before the shuttle is retired. NASA originally ruled out another Hubble repair mission as too dangerous post-Columbia. The public and the science community, however, pressured NASA to reconsider, arguing having an operational Hubble for a few more years justified the risk.
The mission will likely take place in the fall.
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