Atlantis takes hold of Hubble telescope

The space shuttle Atlantis has grabbed hold of the Hubble Space Telescope,the first stepin making a series of repairs to the 19-year-old orbiting observatory.

Atlantis grappled the telescope with its Canadarm robotic arm at1:14 p.m. ET and began the slow process of bringing it to the shuttle's cargo bay, as both shuttle and telescope orbit the Earth at an altitude of about 560 kilometres. Taking hold of Hubble should take just under two hours, NASA said Wednesday.

Atlantis's seven-person crew can then begin a series of repairs, replacing batteries, gyroscopes, cameras and a data-handling unit and fixing other equipment on the telescope, which has had four previous repairs but none since 2002.

Hubble has provided spectacular imagery and helped astronomers gain new insight into black holes, star formation and the early universe. But several of its instruments have failed or are in need of an upgrade. NASA hopes the mission will keep Hubble running another five to 10 years.

Atlantis launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday and spent Tuesday in orbit as it caught up to Hubble. During that time, the shuttle crew inspected the shuttle's heat shield, and discovered a few "dings" in tiles that will continue to be analyzed, NASA said.

Flight director Tony Ceccacci said at first glance, the damage found during the inspection appeared to be minor and likely not a concern, but they will give them a closer look as a safety precaution.