Shuttle releases Hubble
Posted: Sat, Mar 9, 2002, 10:29 AM ET (1529 GMT)
The space shuttle Columbia released the Hubble Space Telescope back into orbit Saturday morning, completing a successful upgrade to the orbiting observatory. The shuttle's robot arm released Hubble from its grasp at 5:04 am EST (1004 GMT), six days after first grappling the telescope. During those six days astronauts performed five spacewalks to repair and upgrade the telescope, outfitting it with new solar panels, reaction control wheels, and power control unit. They also installed a new instrument, the Advanced Camera for Surveys, and provided an existing instrument, NICMOS, with a cooling system that may allow it to return to service. The 35 hours and 55 minutes of combined EVA time during the mission set the record for the most EVA time during a shuttle mission, breaking the old record, set by a Hubble repair mission in 1993, by a half-hour. Columbia will return to Earth Tuesday at 4:33 am EST (0933 GMT).
The space shuttle Columbia released the Hubble Space Telescope back into orbit Saturday morning, completing a successful upgrade to the orbiting observatory. The shuttle's robot arm released Hubble from its grasp at 5:04 am EST (1004 GMT), six days after first grappling the telescope. During those six days astronauts performed five spacewalks to repair and upgrade the telescope, outfitting it with new solar panels, reaction control wheels, and power control unit. They also installed a new instrument, the Advanced Camera for Surveys, and provided an existing instrument, NICMOS, with a cooling system that may allow it to return to service. The 35 hours and 55 minutes of combined EVA time during the mission set the record for the most EVA time during a shuttle mission, breaking the old record, set by a Hubble repair mission in 1993, by a half-hour. Columbia will return to Earth Tuesday at 4:33 am EST (0933 GMT).
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Space Force picks 14 companies for GEO surveillance program
Posted: Sat, Apr 11 10:34 AM ET (1434 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Sunday, April 12
New FCC rule will make Starlink satellite internet faster and cheaper
Mashable — 4:06 am ET (0806 GMT) 6 mind-blowing space missions now set to launch after Artemis II
Science Focus — 4:04 am ET (0804 GMT) Artemis II crew used modern photography to tell the visual story of their lunar journey – and update some classic Apollo images
The Conversation — 4:03 am ET (0803 GMT) Scotland 'on track' to become key centre in European spaceflight
The Scotsman — 4:03 am ET (0803 GMT) Bill Maher is not convinced by the Artemis II mission: ‘Let’s fix the ----show on Earth’
The Independent — 4:02 am ET (0802 GMT) |
