The space shuttle Atlantis' astronauts checked their ship's flight systems and packed up Thursday in hopes of an on-time end to their triumphant Hubble Space Telescope repair mission. Thunderstorms pounded NASA's spaceport throughout the morning, and more bad weather was expected Friday when Atlantis was due to return home. The weather did not dampen NASA's jubilation over the crew's impressive Hubble repairs, which garnered presidential kudos. On Thursday afternoon, the astronauts were slated to testify before a Senate panel, all the way from orbit. The subject was NASA's budget. “You have left Hubble much better than you found it, so now it is time to think about heading home,” Mission Control said in a morning message. “We are all looking forward to seeing you back here on Earth.” Commander Scott Altman aimed for a Friday morning touchdown at Kennedy Space Center, but given the poor weather reports, he and his crew were conserving power in order to remain aloft until Monday, if necessary. The astronauts installed two top-of-the-line science instruments and replaced burned-out electronics in two other science scopes. They also gave the Hubble a new computer for sending back science data, refined the power and pointing systems, and strengthened the exterior with steel foil sheets. The Hubble will now be prepared to probe even deeper into the universe, as far back in time as 500 million to 600 million years from creation.
