Storms delay space shuttle launch to Hubble

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1 of 5. NASA workers watch as the space shuttle Atlantis makes the three-mile trip from the vehicle assembly building to launch pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida September 4, 2008.

Credit: Reuters/Scott Audette

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida | Fri Sep 5, 2008 1:32pm EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Space shuttle Atlantis' launch on a final mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope has been delayed because of tropical storms, NASA said on Friday.

Atlantis' target launch date was pushed back two days to October 10, although more delays were possible with Hurricane Ike and Tropical Storm Josephine swirling in the Atlantic.

Atlantis was moved from NASA's assembly building to the seaside launch pad on Thursday in preparation for the mission, several days later than planned because of earlier storms.

NASA plans to dispatch a crew of seven astronauts to install new science instruments, fix broken equipment and replace batteries and gyroscopes on the 18-year-old observatory.

(Reporting by Irene Klotz, editing by Jane Sutton and Bill Trott)
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