It's Official: Hubble Mission to Launch May 11
Written by Nancy Atkinson
Mission patch for STS-125. Credit: NASA
During the 11-day mission's five spacewalks, astronauts will install two new instruments, repair two inactive ones and perform the component replacements that will keep the telescope functioning into at least 2014.
In addition to the originally scheduled work, Atlantis also will carry a replacement Science Instrument Command and Data Handling Unit for Hubble. Astronauts will install the unit on the telescope, removing the one that stopped working on Sept. 27, 2008, delaying this servicing mission until the replacement was ready.
Veteran astronaut Scott Altman will command the final space shuttle mission to service NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, and retired Navy Capt. Gregory C. Johnson will serve as pilot. Mission specialists rounding out the crew are: veteran spacewalkers John Grunsfeld and Mike Massimino, and first-time space fliers Andrew Feustel, Michael Good and Megan McArthur.
Source: NASA
Filed under: Hubble, Missions, Space Shuttle
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April 30th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
I'll be in my front yard in Orlando with a 8" telescope an a digital camera attached..my last attempt was Perfect with new camera till i accidently deleted the movie going to comupter..8^(…
Go STS-125!!!! 8^)
April 30th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
I was going to ask how many servicing missions Hubble has had through the years, but found the answer on Wikipedia.
I remember when it first launched I was in High School, and when there was first word there was an issue with the telescope that needed to be resolved, I joked with my friends that the scientists were probably looking at nude beaches with it. (Yes, I know the earth is too bright to point Hubble at.
)
April 30th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
"…likely the most significant satellite ever launched."
I would venture that that honour goes to Sputnik, despite being a hopeless Hubble romantic.
Apart from that – YIIEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWW! That announcement just rocked my socks.
May 1st, 2009 at 8:43 am
Great!!! This HST must remain functional, although soon, it will be joined with another space scope, and, in a few more years, a much more powerful scope. It is very important to have space telescope redundancy in this increasing discoveries and findings of our great Universe
May 1st, 2009 at 8:54 am
Great!