Astronauts Pull Off Tricky Hubble Repair

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP/CBS

Atlantis Crew Spacewalks To Fix Broken Camera, Install High-Tech Science Instrument

Spacewalking astronauts gave the Hubble Space Telescope a more commanding view of the cosmos by installing a new high-tech instrument Saturday, then pulled off their toughest job yet: fixing a broken camera.

It was the third spacewalk in as many days for the shuttle Atlantis crew, and it was the most intricate ever performed because of the unprecedented camera repairs. Astronauts had never before tried to take apart a science instrument at the 19-year-old observatory.

Hubble's chief mechanic, John Grunsfeld, deftly opened up the burned-out camera and plucked out all four electronic cards that needed to be replaced.

To everyone's surprise, the new cards and power supply pack went in just as smoothly, seeming to take almost no time at all. In fact, the astronauts found themselves running ahead of schedule for a change, and their spacewalk lasted the allotted 6½ hours. The first two spacewalks ended up running long because of unexpected difficulties encountered with Hubble, last visited seven years ago.


Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/05/16/tech/main5019163.shtml

[tabasco]

1. Well done, crew and NASA!

I'm very proud of our space heroes.

[Xipe Totec]

2. It wasn't rocket science

more like rocket brain surgery, but still...





:yoiks:

[question everything]

3. Great job!

Now back home safely and we can really be proud that some things in our country are still a source of pride.

[ConcernedCanuk]

6. Getting home safely is my hope also

.
.
.

I'm concerned about those nicks in the heat shield

Heat shield failure destroyed a previous shuttle.

NASA has said it is not a concern.

to me,

it is

If these guys die because of another FUBAR

I won't believe it was an accident.

I still have my suspicions about Columbia.

They KNEW there was damage before Columbia tried re-entry.

They knew what would happen

Once again they are down-playing the damage.

It is not beyond my realm of understanding that the USA would kill it's own to hide secrets.

Maybe those astronauts discovered/learned something that the USA didn't want known.

YES

I believe the USA is capable of any atrocity known to mankind.

Prove me wrong . . . .

[Posteritatis]

7. No; the burden of proof is on you for that (nt)

[ConcernedCanuk]

8. ya right - I gotta prove that all the USA's killings are justified

.
.
.

[mopinko]

10. heat shield tiles are damaged on every shuttle flight.

many tiles need to be replaced after each flight.

[lapfog_1]

13. Unless you know something about Columbia that I don't

please don't spread such crap.

KC was a co-worker and friend of mine.

Not everything is a conspiracy, sometimes they are just accidents.

[ConcernedCanuk]

23. I do not know anything special about Columbia - but I know that the USA gov't lies, steals, cheats,

.
.
.

invades defenseless countries,

slaughters innocents,

tortures,

etc.,

etc.

Nothing will stop me, and I suspect many others of being wary of anything the USA does.

As far as I know, freedom of speech ain't QUITE dead down there yet . .

or is it?

[TheMadMonk]

14. Don't be. These marks are less than grazes.

Columbia's damage was a bloody great gaping hole.

Several shuttles have landed safely with tiles completely missing, in the same vicinity as those damaged (barely marked) on this mission. If these marks are the only damage taken then it will be some other factor that takes the flying brick out of the skies. Hopefully retirement.


I don't believe they realised the extent of the damage or they certainly would not have tried to bring it back. No matter how much manegerial interference, the engineers would not have stood still or kept silent, if they'd known that the leading edge of a wing had been breeched.


What secrets would THEY have been trying to hide here? Then or possibly now? Inquiring minds would like to know.


"...any attrocity known to mankind" suggests that somewhere, somewhen, someone "gave it a go". Yup, mankind is a pretty attrocious beastie. Sometimes a pretty atrocious individual rises to the top. What you are saying is that it's inevitable. So should we all just give up and hand over to the despots because, it's inevitable?

[ConcernedCanuk]

24. Should we give up? definitely not - we should revolt instead of drugging ourselves into submission

.
.
.

some of us "drug" ourselves with TV

some with alcohol

some with . .

DRUGS

and I've been in the work force for over 40 years -

and have heard all the excuses - ya can't fight City Hall - ya can't fight big money and so on

WE HAVE GIVEN UP!

Yes we have our minorities that fight like hell for the right things, but they rarely win in a way to change the World.

The USA, the Bully of the Globe is still running around the World bombing the shit out of whomever they please.

Who is stopping them?

No one . .

(sigh)

[proteus_lives]

28. LOL.

Never heard of "time and place" huh? :eyes:

LBN: "US Government Scientists discover cure for cancer. Will distribute for free throughout the world."
First post: ConcernedCancuk: "... Another evil move from the bully of the globe...(sigh)"

LBN: "US Naval Units rescue refugees off the coast of India."
First post: ConcernedCancuk: "...Now they'll be water-boarded by those Evil US sailors....(sigh)"

LBN: "President Obama embarks on Canadian Tour."
First Post: ConcernedCancuk: "...I waved at President Obama and he didn't wave back. Just another disrespectful move from the head Bully of the Evil Empire....(sigh)"

:rofl:

[friendly_iconoclast]

16. They discovered a hot naked space vampire chick!

I know it's true, Tobe Hooper told me so through my microwave oven one night at 3 AM while I
I was watching "Lifeforce" on cable...

[Psephos]

27. "I believe the USA is capable of any atrocity known to mankind."

It's fascinating to consider why you choose this particular form of projection. You seem tireless in your pursuit of it, which implies it comes from a deep place.

No offense - I find it challenging to not listen to a person's words, and instead, listen to the ineffable forces that drive them. Meanwhile, I can accept that in your reality, your view is true, and I have no interest in dissuasion.

:toast:

[sam sarrha]

4. Link>>>

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

[Owl]

5. Fantastic job! Well done!

:bounce: :woohoo:

[Daphne08]

9. K & R

:kick:

[Norrin Radd]

11. Cool. Now success on those tiles and get back

safely.

[neverforget]

12. Great job!

[Triana]

15. Very proud of them and wishing them a safe journey home. n/t

[byronius]

17. A billion well spent.

[BlueJessamine]

18. Intricate space surgery revives Hubble camera

Source: CNET News

In what amounted to electronic brain surgery, a space-suited astronaut cut through shielding on a broken camera deep inside the Hubble Space Telescope today, removed a cover plate that wasn't designed to be taken off in orbit, used a custom tool to pull out four blown circuit boards, and then installed a fresh set.

Running up to an hour ahead of schedule at one point, astronomer-astronaut John Grunsfeld, a self-described "Hubble hugger" making his third visit to the telescope, then spliced in an electrical cable and connected it to a new low-voltage power supply that replaced one destroyed in 2007 by a catastrophic short circuit.

The improbable repair of the Advanced Camera for Surveys went smoothly, with virtually no problems of any significance, and by 2:56 p.m., the final connections had been made, catching ground engineers by surprise.

"All connectors are mated," astronaut Michael Good radioed from Atlantis.



Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-19514_3-10242545-239.html

[creeksneakers2]

19. That's great news!

[Submariner]

20. Atlantis and Hubble Side by Side

Explanation: On Wednesday, May 13, two, tiny, fast moving spots crossed an otherwise featureless solar disk. Not sunspots though, the dark blemishes were silhouettes of the shuttle orbiter Atlantis and the Hubble Space Telescope side by side. To record this sharp picture of the orbiting pair against the face of the Sun, astronomer Thierry Legault carefully set up his camera and telescope near the center of a 5 kilometer wide path of visibility about 100 kilometers south of Kennedy Space Center in Florida. He opened the shutter for 1/8,000 second at 12:17 EDT, catching Atlantis and Hubble at a range of 600 kilometers while they were moving at 7 kilometers/second. The total duration of the transit (Sun crossing) was 0.8 seconds. Enlarged in the inset view, Atlantis (top) is approaching Hubble prior to capturing the space telescope. Thursday, astronauts began a series of spacewalks to perform the maintenance as part of the final mission to Hubble.

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

[BlueJessamine]

21. Cool, thanks for posting!

:fistbump:

[nolabels]

22. Picture happy geeks get a life already, spending all that effort and planing for just one picture?

I was just kidding really but thinking of the exactness into what made that possible makes me go :wow:

[Posteritatis]

25. The only opportunity ever to take such a picture? Sure (nt)

[flying rabbit]

26. it is an awesome pic though.

kudos

[Vidar]

29. Kudos to the astronauts.

[Uncle Joe]

30. This is good to hear.

Thanks for the thread, Omaha Steve.:thumbsup: