Second Hubble EVA a success
Posted: Tue, Mar 5, 2002, 2:25 PM ET (1925 GMT)
Two astronauts completed the second of five spacewalks early Tuesday to repair and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. Astronauts Mike Massimino and Jim Newman spent seven hours and 16 minutes outside the shuttle Columbia early Tuesday. They installed the second of two new solar panels for the orbiting observatory, and replaced one of Hubble's reaction control wheels, used for attitude control. Both of those tasks were completed successfully and ahead of schedule, so the two also installed a thermal blanket on the outside of one of Hubble's equipment bays and checked two latches on a shroud that covers two of Hubble's instruments. The third, and arguably most critical, spacewalk of the mission is scheduled for early Wednesday, when John Grunsfeld and Richard Linnehan will replace the power control unit in Hubble. This requires turning off the telescope's power for the first time since it was launched in 1990, and is considered very risky because of the possibility that the spacecraft's power could not be restored, rendering Hubble inoperative.
Two astronauts completed the second of five spacewalks early Tuesday to repair and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. Astronauts Mike Massimino and Jim Newman spent seven hours and 16 minutes outside the shuttle Columbia early Tuesday. They installed the second of two new solar panels for the orbiting observatory, and replaced one of Hubble's reaction control wheels, used for attitude control. Both of those tasks were completed successfully and ahead of schedule, so the two also installed a thermal blanket on the outside of one of Hubble's equipment bays and checked two latches on a shroud that covers two of Hubble's instruments. The third, and arguably most critical, spacewalk of the mission is scheduled for early Wednesday, when John Grunsfeld and Richard Linnehan will replace the power control unit in Hubble. This requires turning off the telescope's power for the first time since it was launched in 1990, and is considered very risky because of the possibility that the spacecraft's power could not be restored, rendering Hubble inoperative.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
NASA to launch Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope in September
Posted: Sat, Apr 25 10:54 AM ET (1454 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Thursday, April 30
United States Welcomes Morocco Signing of the Artemis Accords
US State Department — 6:58 am ET (1058 GMT) What would happen without satellite communications?
ESA — 6:56 am ET (1056 GMT) Baking a parachute for Mars
ESA — 6:55 am ET (1055 GMT) Space Command cuts ribbon on first Redstone facility
WAFF-TV — 6:54 am ET (1054 GMT) Space Command cuts ribbon on first AL facility, lays groundwork for 200 personnel by end of year
WHNT-TV — 6:53 am ET (1053 GMT) |
