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Astronauts making one last house call to Hubble
By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer The Associated Press
Thursday, May 7, 2009 3:58 PM EDT Latest News
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The Hubble Space Telescope is about to get one last house call. And never before have the risks been higher.
On Monday, astronauts will rocket away to the most famous telescope of modern times. They'll be taking up new scientific instruments, replacement parts for broken cameras and fresh batteries that should keep Hubble running for five to 10 years.
This cosmic-scale grand finale — stalled seven months by a telescope breakdown — will be NASA's most daring overhaul yet of the 19-year-old orbiting observatory, a captivating, twinkling jewel in the sky representing $10 billion of investment.
Never before have spacewalking astronauts attempted to fix dead science instruments on the Hubble, equipment that was never meant to be handled in orbit. Before they've just swapped out the whole thing at the telescope, which started out life shockingly nearsighted.
In all, five spacewalks will be performed in as many days by two repair teams. Two of the repairmen have visited Hubble before and, because of that, were chosen for this extraordinarily difficult job, on a par with operating-room surgery.
"Hubble needs a hug," said the chief repairman, John Grunsfeld, who will be making his third trip to the telescope.
Space shuttle Atlantis and its crew of seven will face increased danger from space junk because of Hubble's extremely high and littered orbit 350 miles up. They will need someone to come and get them — fast — if their ship sustains serious Columbia-type damage during launch or later in flight. They will not have the luxury of camping out at the international space station while awaiting rescue. The space station will be in another orbit and impossible to reach.
The mission, once canceled because it was considered too perilous, has an unprecedented safety net: another space shuttle on the launch pad. There is no guarantee, though, that NASA could pull off a rescue in time to save the Hubble crew. It would take three to seven days, at least, to launch a second shuttle.
http://www.mediacomtoday.com/news/r...ass&action=2&lang=en&_LT=UNLC_NKNWU00L2_UNEWS
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This wondrous little space telescope has sent some aw-inspiring photos and data back to us...I sure hope that they are able to repair HUBBLE!
By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer The Associated Press
Thursday, May 7, 2009 3:58 PM EDT Latest News
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The Hubble Space Telescope is about to get one last house call. And never before have the risks been higher.
On Monday, astronauts will rocket away to the most famous telescope of modern times. They'll be taking up new scientific instruments, replacement parts for broken cameras and fresh batteries that should keep Hubble running for five to 10 years.
This cosmic-scale grand finale — stalled seven months by a telescope breakdown — will be NASA's most daring overhaul yet of the 19-year-old orbiting observatory, a captivating, twinkling jewel in the sky representing $10 billion of investment.
Never before have spacewalking astronauts attempted to fix dead science instruments on the Hubble, equipment that was never meant to be handled in orbit. Before they've just swapped out the whole thing at the telescope, which started out life shockingly nearsighted.
In all, five spacewalks will be performed in as many days by two repair teams. Two of the repairmen have visited Hubble before and, because of that, were chosen for this extraordinarily difficult job, on a par with operating-room surgery.
"Hubble needs a hug," said the chief repairman, John Grunsfeld, who will be making his third trip to the telescope.
Space shuttle Atlantis and its crew of seven will face increased danger from space junk because of Hubble's extremely high and littered orbit 350 miles up. They will need someone to come and get them — fast — if their ship sustains serious Columbia-type damage during launch or later in flight. They will not have the luxury of camping out at the international space station while awaiting rescue. The space station will be in another orbit and impossible to reach.
The mission, once canceled because it was considered too perilous, has an unprecedented safety net: another space shuttle on the launch pad. There is no guarantee, though, that NASA could pull off a rescue in time to save the Hubble crew. It would take three to seven days, at least, to launch a second shuttle.
http://www.mediacomtoday.com/news/r...ass&action=2&lang=en&_LT=UNLC_NKNWU00L2_UNEWS
*************************************
This wondrous little space telescope has sent some aw-inspiring photos and data back to us...I sure hope that they are able to repair HUBBLE!
