Highland Park astronaut to make fifth spaceflight

An astrophysicist from Highland Park is preparing to make an unprecedented third visit to the Hubble Space Telescope.

Next week John Grunsfeld will be one seven passengers aboard shuttle Atlantis. The 50-year-old will serve as lead spacewalker on NASA's fifth and final service mission to Hubble.

Grunsfeld shares the same alma mater as Edwin Hubble, the astronomer for whom the telescope is named. Both earned doctorates from the University of Chicago.

NASA chose Grunsfeld as an astronaut in 1992. This will be his fifth spaceflight. He'll perform three spacewalks at Hubble.

Grunsfeld also climbs mountains and has ascended Denali, North America's highest peak.