The shuttle Atlantis was launched on a mission to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope

Preparations for the flight went smoothly, and the weather was also kind. Updates later

At the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the space shuttle Atlantis was launched this evening at 21:01 for the last mission to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. All the preparations went smoothly, and the weather was also favorable for the launch. According to what has been seen so far on TV and according to the commentators on the broadcasts of the Fox and Sky networks (part of the voice in the broadcast comes from NASA TV) the launch was successful.

As of 21:04, the solid fuel boosters are being separated, and are now operating using the fuel from the external fuel tank that accelerates the shuttle's drives itself. As of 21:10, the shuttle separated from the external fuel tank.

Tomorrow the space shuttle Atlantis crew members will capture the Hubble Space Telescope and attach it to the shuttle's cargo deck, during five spacewalks they will replace components that have stopped working and repair others. The upgrade should keep Hubble operational until 2014, when its replacement, the James Webb Telescope, will be launched.

The launch cost by the way - one billion dollars.

The upgrade flight to Hubble step by step