Enhancing Hubble's Vision: Service Missions That Expanded Our View of the Universe (Springer Praxis Books)
Language: English
Pages: 333
ISBN: 3319226436
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
This book tells the story of the four missions to maintain Hubble's successful operation. Between 1997 and 2009 these repaired, serviced and upgraded the instruments on the telescope to maintain its state-of-the-art capabilities. It draws on first hand interviews with those closely involved in the project. The spacewalking skills and experiences gained from maintaining and upgrading Hubble had direct application to the construction of the International Space Station and help with its maintenance. These skills can be applied to future human and robotic satellite servicing and maintenance activities as well, not only in Earth orbit but at locations deeper in space.
A companion to this book, The Hubble Space Telescope: From Concept to Success, relates the events of the Telescope’s launch in 1990 and its rough start, after a 20-year struggle to place a large optical telescope in orbit. Originally intended to operate for fifteen years, Hubble has just passed its 25th anniversary, and there is every expectation that it will survive for thirty years. Despite its early problems, the Hubble Space Telescope has become a lasting legacy of the Space Shuttle program, and indeed is a national treasure.
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Hurricane Floyd. September 13–16 September 17 Next launch no earlier November 19 could be either STS-99 or STS-103 depending upon wiring inspections and repairs to both Enterprise and Discovery. September 20 Tropical storm Harvey. September 22 Wiring inspection in forward and aft compartments completed; above payload bay liner very near completion; below payload bay liner about 50 percent complete; focus now centered on high traffic areas. September 24 Based on progress of wiring inspections and
harbored a secret desire, a strong desire to fly on the Hubble mission, because Hubble played an integral part in inspiring me to try to become an astronaut way, way back in the day. I was going to pilot training in 1982, I believe it was the summer of 1982, and I’ve been a lifelong motorcyclist and we had a long weekend. I was down at Lubbock [Reese] Air Force Base in Texas and at that time I was learning how to fly [and so over] a long weekend my wife and I decided to jump on the bike and run
previous military experiences, and his comments offer a fascinating insight into an aspect of a mission that is rarely talked about. “I can only speak personally of how to handle yourself when tackling a difficult task and you are very, very fatigued. Of course, I had a lot of experience with that. In the past I flew more combat missions than anyone else in my squadron back in my day and it’s just kind of how it worked out, so being tired and having to do important things whilst tired, I guess you
investigators or coinvestigators had used Hubble during 17 cycles of the HST General Observer Program and there were many others waiting for their times to come. Some 860,000 exposures of 27,000 targets had generated 33 terabytes of science data and 8821 scientists across the world had registered to use the data generated by the telescope. This data had also allowed 7724 different authors to write refereed papers. It was said that an average of 14 scientific papers every week appeared in
planned for STS-125, five dedicated to Hubble servicing and the sixth held in reserve to deal with any problems involving the shuttle or in deploying the telescope. Grunsfeld (EV1) and Feustel (EV2) were to do the first, third and fifth SM-4 objectives 173 EVAs, with Massimino (EV3) and Good (EV4) doing the second, fourth and sixth (if that was required). As with all Hubble missions, the EVA crewmembers were cross-trained to support and back each other up for the many tasks that had been
