Washington  - US space agency NASA on Thursday moved space shuttle Atlantis to a coastal launch pad, in preparation for lift off on October 8.

The shuttle was set to be rolled out Tuesday from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, but the six-hour move was delayed because of two tropical storms brewing dangerously close to the Gulf of Mexico.

Atlantis' crew members are set for an equipment test Friday, with a launch targeted for October 8 as scheduled, a statement from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said.

Atlantis will be on an 11-day mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope, which will remain operational for at least another five years following the upgrades. (dpa)