For the first and only time, NASA had two shuttles in launch countdown simultaneously. We were ready to launch Endeavour one day after Atlantis if necessary. Tremendous dedication and work went into getting us to this dual-launch posture. Fortunately—like many other things in the space business—this contingency capability was assured but never needed. Atlantis’s flight went flawlessly, so the rescue mission never flew. Atlantis’s crew successfully prolonged Hubble’s life and upgraded its instrument package. In a roundabout way, what we learned from the Columbia accident had once again
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