Hubble mission update

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — With a forecast of near-perfect weather, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope scientists and managers were euphoric as they awaited Monday's planned launch of shuttle Atlantis on the final trip to the orbiting observatory.

Sunday, meteorologists issued an improved forecast, putting the odds of good launching weather at 90 percent, about as good as it gets. Only a slight chance of rain is expected at the emergency landing site in Spain.

Atlantis is poised to blast off with seven astronauts just after 2 p.m. EDT (noon MDT).