Space shuttle moved to launch pad as rescue ship

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - NASA moved space shuttle Endeavour to the launch pad early Friday in case something goes wrong with the upcoming Hubble Space Telescope mission.

Endeavour arrived at its destination before sunrise, following an all-night journey. It marked the first time NASA has had a space shuttle on the launch pad as a rescue ship.

Atlantis and seven astronauts are supposed to blast off on the last Hubble repair mission next month. The planned Oct. 10 launch date could be delayed, though, because of payload problems: insulation was blown off the telescope's replacement batteries earlier this week.

NASA needs Endeavour to be able to lift off within a week of Atlantis' launch in case Atlantis suffers irreparable damage during flight.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.