Space shuttle Atlantis flew the final Hubble servicing mission in 2009. Designated STS-125, or Servicing Mission 4, it launched on May 11, 2009, and carried seven astronauts to the orbiting observatory.
The crew spent nearly 13 days completing five spacewalks. They installed the Wide Field Camera 3 and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, repaired the Advanced Camera for Surveys and Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, replaced batteries and gyroscopes, and fitted new insulation. These upgrades substantially extended Hubble’s useful life.
Atlantis’s mission was originally scheduled for 2008, but a failure in Hubble’s science-data handling system caused a delay so replacement hardware could be prepared. The shuttle finally reached Hubble, captured it with its robotic arm, and released it after the repairs.
Discovery had deployed Hubble in 1990 and flew earlier servicing missions, which makes it a common mix-up. Endeavour was positioned as a rescue shuttle during STS-125, but Atlantis—not Endeavour—performed the servicing flight.