NASA astronaut tweets about mission

NASA astronaut Mike Massimino is using Twitter to chronicle his training for the fifth and final space shuttle Atlantis mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope, according to NASA.

Massimino’s Twitter user name is Astro_Mike, according to the announcement dated April 6 . He will fly aboard space shuttle Atlantis as a mission specialist and spacewalker during a mission targeted to launch May 12.

Follow Massimino's Twitter feed here.

Atlantis' 11-day flight will include five spacewalks to refurbish and upgrade Hubble with new science instruments. The upgrade is expected to enhance Hubble's capabilities and extend its life through at least 2014.

This will be Massimino's second trip to space. He first flew on a mission to Hubble in 2002. During that flight, he performed two spacewalks.

Along with Massimino, the Atlantis crew includes Commander Scott Altman; pilot Gregory Johnson; and mission specialists Andrew Feustel, Michael Good, John Grunsfeld and Megan McArthur.

To follow NASA mission activities on Twitter, follow the user name NASA. The agency also provides a complete list of all agency missions on Twitter.

NASA also offers more information about the upcoming Atlantis mission and its crew.