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Coverage of Columbia's flight continues at Part 3
of the STS-109 Mission Journal.
-
08 March 2002 - Evening Update - Flight Day 9 is
underway. Today's activities will include the release
of the Hubble Telescope back to its own orbit. Columbia's robotic arm will
unberth the giant observatory from the orbiter's payload bay early Saturday morning.
NASA reports:
Busy Weekend in Space
As the astronauts aboard Columbia wrap-up the successful Hubble
Space Telescope servicing mission, they will take some time to talk to
students about their work in space. The newly refurbished Hubble will be
released from the grip of the Space Shuttle early tomorrow to return to
its work of discovery.
Meanwhile, NASA's second of three enhanced Tracking
and Data Relay Satellites-I (TDRS-I), is scheduled to launch Friday
afternoon aboard an Atlas IIA rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station, Fla. The launch window extends from 5:39 p.m. to 6:19 p.m. EST.
Closer to Earth, the STS-109 crew is scheduled
to talk
to students at the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore and the Denver
Museum of Nature and Science on Sunday. The students are part of the NASA
Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Aerospace Academy (SEMAA). The
program uses NASA resources to expose historically under-represented youth
to the fields of science and technology. Tune
in to see the event live on the Web. Columbia is scheduled to land
Tuesday at the Kennedy Space Center.
Watch NASA
TV to see coverage of a ship-to-ship communication between Space
Shuttle Columbia and the International Space Station. The conversation is
slated to begin at 2:15 a.m. CST [3:15AM EST/0815 GMT] Sunday. Then at 6:47 a.m. CST
[7:47AM EST/1247 GMT] Sunday, the STS-109 crew will participate in interviews with
WABC Radio, KARE-TV and the CBS Radio Network.
NASA TV Schedule
Flight
Day 7 images are now available in the NASA Gallery.
-
08 March - Afternoon Update - Last EVA complete - The fifth
and final spacewalk of this mission is done. Only two other missions (both
of them Hubble flights) have had this
many EVAs, and no Shuttle flight has had more time outside than this one! NASA reports:
Astronauts Complete Space Walking Work on Hubble Telescope
The STS-109 crew successfully completed its fifth space walk to service
the Hubble Space Telescope at 10:06 a.m. CST (1606 GMT) today. Space
walkers Rick Linnehan and John Grunsfeld installed an experimental cooling
system onto the telescope’s Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object
Spectrometer, or NICMOS.
During the 7-hour, 20-minute space walk, Linnehan and Grunsfeld
received assistance from inside Space Shuttle Columbia.
The primary robotic arm operator was Mission Specialist Nancy Currie.
Mission Specialists Jim Newman and Mike
Massimino coordinated the space walk’s activities, and Commander Scott
Altman and Pilot Duane Carey documented the extravehicular activity with still
images and video. Altman also spent some time operating the robot arm.
Beginning at 11:18 a.m. CST [12:18PM EST/1718 GMT], Altman and Carey
performed a reboost of Hubble’s orbit. They fired Columbia's jets in a
series of pulses for 36 minutes, raising the telescope's orbit by 6.4
kilometers (4 statute miles).
The seven crewmembers ended their day at 1:52 p.m. CST [2:52PM EST/1952 GMT]
and will awaken to begin flight day 9 at 9:52 p.m. CST [10:52PM EST Friday/0352 GMT Saturday].
It will take a weeks before the cryo-cooler can chill the NICMOS
instrument to the extreme cold required for it to "see". Tomorrow,
Hubble will be released back into its own orbit.
Flight
Day 7 videos are now available in the NASA Spaceflight
Gallery.
-
08 March 2002 - EVA # 5, the last spacewalk of this mission, is underway.
NASA reports:
Astronauts Installing Experimental Camera Cooling System
The STS-109 crew aboard Columbia is performing its fifth space walk to
service and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope Friday morning. The primary
objective of this excursion, conducted by Mission Specialists John
Grunsfeld and Rick Linnehan, is the installation of an experimental
cooling system onto Hubble's Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object
Spectrometer (NICMOS).
The space walk began at 3:46 a.m. EST (0846 GMT) and is slated
to wrap up about 10:16 a.m. EST (1516 GMT) today.
The next major task for the STS-109 crew today is a reboost of
the Hubble’s orbit. Columbia's jets will fire in a series of pulses to
raise the telescope's orbit by 6 kilometers (3.7 statute miles).
Flight
Day 8 images are now available in the NASA Spaceflight
Gallery.
-
07 March 2002 - Evening Update - Flight Day 8 is here,
and soon the last
EVA of this mission will
begin. This one is an attempt to
revive the dormant
NICMOS instrument.
What is NICMOS, you
say? No, it's not a Greek diner - it is an infrared
camera that must be super-cooled to operate.
The cooling system gave
out in 1999, but the instrument can be salvaged with the installation of
an experimental
electronics package
and cryo-cooler
- and that's COOL!
NASA reports:
Astronauts
to Install Camera Cooling System During Space Walk
The STS-109 crew will perform its fifth space walk to service and upgrade
the Hubble Space Telescope Friday morning. The primary objective of this
excursion, which will be conducted by Mission Specialists John Grunsfeld
and Rick Linnehan, is the installation of an experimental cooling system
onto Hubble's Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS).
The space walk is scheduled to start at 2:22 a.m. CST [3:22AM EST/0822
GMT].
NICMOS operates at extremely low temperatures, but it has been
dormant since 1999 when its coolant was depleted earlier than expected. It
is hoped that the cooling system will allow NICMOS to come back online.
Following the space walk, Altman and Carey will fire Columbia's
jets in a series of pulses to raise the telescope's orbit by 6 kilometers
(3.7 statute miles).
Flight Day 7 videos
and images
are up at NASA's SM3B site.
-
07 March - Afternoon Update - As of 11:15AM EST (1415 GMT), the
spacewalkers have returned to
Columbia's
airlock, having swapped out the
veteran Faint Object Camera for the
refrigerator-sized Advanced Camera for
Surveys. NASA reports:
Space
Walkers Install Advanced Camera for Surveys
During
STS-109’s fourth space walk, the STS-109 crew increased the Hubble Space
Telescope’s science capability with the installation of the Advanced
Camera for Surveys, which is also known as ACS. Space walkers Jim Newman
and Mike Massimino wrapped up the 7-hour, 30-minute excursion at 10:30
a.m. CST [11:30AM EST/1630 GMT]. Prior to installing the ACS, they removed
the last of Hubble’s original science instruments, the Faint Object
Camera.
Other
activities for the Newman and Massimino included the installation of an
Electronic Support Module for a new experimental cooling device for
Hubble’s Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer. Mission
Specialists John Grunsfeld and Rick Linnehan will install the cooling
device during STS-109’s fifth space walk, beginning at 1:52 a.m. CST
[2:52AM EST/0752 GMT] Friday.
The
seven crewmembers' sleep period began at 2:52 p.m. CST [3:52PM EST/1952
GMT], and they will awaken to begin flight day 8 at 9:52 p.m. CST [10:52PM
EST] tonight (0352 GMT Friday).
The new camera
will be able to see 10
times farther into deep space than its
predecessor.
Flight
Day 6 videos and images are now available in the NASA Spaceflight
Gallery.
-
07 March 2002 - We are into the fourth EVA now, which
began at 4AM EST (0900 GMT). The first
three spacewalks gave Hubble increased power
capability; this
one will give Hubble stronger
optical capability. NASA reports:
Fourth
Space Walk Under Way
Columbia
Astronauts Jim Newman and Mike Massimino are conducting a space
walk to service the Hubble Space Telescope. Their objective is to
install a new camera to upgrade the Hubble's science capability.
[The] astronauts successfully installed the Advanced Camera for
Surveys in the Hubble Space Telescope early Thursday. [The two] slid the new, powerful instrument into the slot
from which they had removed the Faint Object Camera earlier. The Faint
Object Camera is the last instrument launched aboard the orbiting
observatory to be replaced.
Newman
and Massimino are receiving support from inside Space Shuttle Columbia.
Mission Specialist Nancy Currie is operating Columbia's robot arm, and
Mission Specialists Rick Linnehan and John Grunsfeld are choreographing
the space walk's activities. The space walk is slated to wrap up about
9:30 a.m. CST [10:30AM EST/1530 GMT] today.
Follow the play-by-play at the links at top
right, and watch
NASA
TV.
-
06 March 2002 - Evening Update - Flight Day 7 has begun,
and it's time to go
outside yet
again.
NASA reports:
STS-109
Space Walkers to Install New Camera onto Telescope
The STS-109 crew will perform the fourth space walk in as many days
Thursday morning. The primary object of this space walk, which is slated
to begin at 2:22 a.m. CST [3:22AM EST/0822 GMT] Thursday, is to upgrade the science
capabilities of the telescope. Space walkers Jim Newman and Mike Massimino
will replace the Faint Object Camera with the Advanced Camera for Surveys,
which is also known as the ACS. The Faint Object Camera is the last of
Hubble's original instruments.
They also will install an Electronic Support Module for a new
experimental cooling device for Hubble's Near-Infrared Camera and
Multi-Object Spectrometer. The cooling device will be installed Friday
during the mission's fifth space walk.
During Thursday's space walk, Newman and Massimino will receive
support from inside Space Shuttle Columbia. Mission Specialist Nancy
Currie will operate Columbia's robot arm, and Mission Specialists Rick
Linnehan and John Grunsfeld will choreograph the space walk's activities.
The spacewalk, expected to last about 6 and one-half hours, will
be broadcast live on NASA Television
and NASA TV on the Web.
Flight Day 6 videos
and images
are up at NASA's SM3B site.
-
06 March - Afternoon Update - An eventful Flight Day 6
comes to a close.
NASA reports:
STS-109
Crew Replaces Hubble's Power Control Unit
The
STS-109 crew successfully replaced the Hubble Space Telescope’s Power
Control Unit during the mission’s third space walk this morning. Mission
Specialists John Grunsfeld and Rick Linnehan began their excursion outside
Space Shuttle Columbia at 2:28 a.m. CST (0828 GMT) and wrapped it up at
9:16 a.m. CST (1516 GMT).
In order for
Grunsfeld and Linnehan to replace the unit, Hubble was powered down for
the first time in its history at 3:37 a.m. CST (0937 GMT). It was
successfully turned back on at 8:02 a.m. CST (1402 GMT) after the
installation of the new Power Control Unit.
Mission
Specialist Nancy Currie operated the shuttle’s robot arm, and Mission
Specialists Jim Newman and Mike Massimino coordinated the space walk.
Newman and Massimino are scheduled to perform the mission’s fourth space
walk Thursday morning, starting at about 2:30 a.m. CST (0830 GMT).
The seven crewmembers have ended their workday
and are scheduled to awaken at 9:52 p.m. CST Wednesday.
The astronauts sent spectacular images back to the ground via their helmet-cams. Keep watching
NASA
TV!
Flight
Day 5 images
are now available in the NASA Spaceflight
Gallery.
-
06 March - Morning Update - It's Alive! - EVA 3 is
complete, and astronauts Grunsfeld
and
Linnehan have successfully replaced Hubble's aging
Power Control
Unit, a
procedure which was never intended to be
done
on-orbit. The HST was
powered
down for the first time since it was first deployed in
1990, and the
spacewalkers had to race against the clock to make sure that the
delicate
electronics inside Hubble did not cool down too much.
NASA reports:
New Power Unit is Working
Today's spacewalk, which began at 2:28 a.m., is being conducted
by John Grunsfeld and Rick Linnehan. Grunsfeld and Linnehan also conducted
the first of five scheduled spacewalks for this mission.
About 5 1/2 hours into today's spacewalk to install a new power
control unit, the Hubble Space Telescope's heartbeat was restored at 8:02
a.m. central time. That heartbeat indicated that telemetry from the
telescope was being received on the ground, allowing commands to be sent
to the Hubble.
At 8:41 a.m. ground controllers at the Space Telescope
Operations Control Center confirmed that aliveness tests of the new power
control unit were successful. They will now begin the lengthy process of
restoring power to each of the Hubble's various components.
Rick Linnehan, like many astronauts, has a title of "Doctor" -
but unlike any of them, he is a Doctor
of Veterinary Medicine! His experience performing surgery on walruses
and tigers came in handy during today's tricky
operation.
-
06 March 2002 - A spacesuit had to be swapped out, causing
EVA
#3 to get off to a late start, but repair operations on the now-dormant
Hubble Space Telescope are in full swing.
NASA reports:
STS-109
Crew Begins Space Walk to Replace Power Control Unit
STS-109's
third space walk is under way. Astronauts John Grunsfeld and Rick Linnehan
began the excursion at 2:28 a.m. CST [3:28AM EST/0828 GMT] today. The
start of the space walk was delayed due to a water leak in Grunsfeld's
spacesuit. Mission managers decided to have Grunsfeld change into another
spacesuit and press ahead with the space walk's objective of replacing the
Hubble Space Telescope's Power Control Unit, or PCU.
Controllers at the Space Telescope Operations Control Center in
Green Belt, Md., will power down Hubble for the first time ever to enable
Grunsfeld and Linnehan to replace the PCU. Hubble will be powered back up
after the new PCU is installed.
The space walkers will be assisted from inside Space Shuttle
Columbia by Mission Specialists Nancy Currie, Mike Massimino and Jim
Newman. Currie will maneuver Columbia's robot arm, and Massimino and
Newman will choreograph the space walk's activities. Commander Scott
Altman and Pilot Duane Carey will document the excursion with still photos
and video. The space walk is now slated to wrap up about 9:30 a.m. CST
[10:30AM EST/1530 GMT] today.
Flight
Day 5 videos are now available in the NASA Spaceflight
Gallery.
Also, the SM3B site has videos
and images
from Flight Day 5.
-
05 March 2002 - Evening Update - Flight Day 6 is underway,
and the astronauts are getting ready for the
third, and most difficult, of
their Hubble spacewalking tasks.
NASA reports:
Third
Hubble Space Walk Set for Late Tonight
The astronauts of Space Shuttle Mission STS-109 will head into space late
tonight to continue refurbishing work on the Hubble Space Telescope.
Mission Specialists John Grunsfeld (pictured) and Rick Linnehan will exit
the airlock at about 12:27 a.m. EST tomorrow morning (0527 GMT Wednesday).
Tonight's spacewalk, expected to last about seven hours, will require the
crew to power down the telescope in order to replace Hubble’s Power
Control Unit.
Extravehicular activity preparations have begun aboard
Columbia, as astronauts Grunsfeld and Linnehan prepare to don
their spacesuits. Meanwhile, Hubble Space Telescope
ground controllers will begin sending commands to turn off the
observatory for the first time ever at 10:30 p.m. CST [12:30PM EST/1630 GMT].
The telescope is planned to be powered off for almost seven hours
as Grunsfeld and Linnehan replace the core of its power system.
You can follow developments and see the spectacular images live
on NASA Television and
NASA TV on the Web.
Flight
Day 4 videos and images
are now available in the NASA Spaceflight
Gallery.
-
05 March - Afternoon Update - EVA #2 is complete,
and now Hubble has a matched
set of brandy-new
solar arrays.
NASA reports:
New
Port Solar Array Installed on Hubble
STS-109 Astronauts Mike Massimino and Jim Newman wrapped up the
mission’s second space walk at 7:56 a.m. CST [8:56AM EST/1356 GMT] today. During
the 7-hour, 16-minute excursion, they successfully replaced the Hubble
Space Telescope’s port solar array with a new-generation solar array.
They also added its associated electrical components. The starboard array
was replaced during STS-109's first space walk Monday morning. The new
arrays are smaller and will provide more power.
Up next for
Massimino and Newman was the replacement of a Reaction Wheel Assembly, or
RWA, in Hubble. The telescope has four RWAs that serve as pointing
devices. During the extravehicular activity, Mission Specialist Nancy
Currie operated Columbia’s robot arm, and Mission Specialist John
Grunsfeld choreographed the space walk.
Following the installation of a new solar array and reaction wheel assembly,
Newman and Massimino were given approval to proceed with a test of latches on the
shroud --or door--that houses two of Hubble's observing instruments, and to install
some additional insulating material on one portion of the telescope.
The astronauts' sleep period began today at 11:52 a.m. CST
[12:52PM EST/1752 GMT] and they will be awakened at 7:52 p.m. CST tonight
[8:52PM EST Tuesday/0152 GMT Wednesday] to begin flight day 6.
Three more STS-109 space walks are on tap to service Hubble.
Grunsfeld and Mission Specialist Rick Linnehan are slated to begin the next
EVA at 11:27 p.m. CST today [12:27AM EST/0527 GMT Wednesday].
They will replace Hubble’s Power Control Unit.
Up
next: the risky Power
Unit upgrade. More Flight
Day 4 images are now available in the NASA Spaceflight
Gallery.
-
05 March 2002 - We are well into Flight Day 5, and the second
spacewalk is in progress.
NASA reports:
STS-109's Second Space Walk Under Way
The STS-109 crew began the mission's second space walk at 12:40 a.m. [1:40AM EST/0640 GMT] today.
The space walkers' objectives are to install a new
port solar array and a Reaction Wheel Assembly on the Hubble Space Telescope.
Watch NASA
TV to see coverage of STS-109’s second of five space walks.
NASA TV Schedule
EVA #2 should last about 6.5 hours. CNN has an interview
with mission commander Scott
Altman.
-
04 March 2002 - Evening Update - Flight Day 5 began at
8:53PM EST (1353 GMT),
and it's time for another
spacewalk. NASA reports:
STS-109
Crew to Replace Port Array During Second Space Walk
The STS-109 crew will continue its servicing work on the Hubble Space
Telescope when Mission Specialists Jim Newman and Mike Massimino perform
the mission's second space walk, beginning at 12:27 a.m. CST (0627 GMT)
Tuesday.
The objectives of the second extravehicular activity, or EVA, are
the replacement of Hubble's port-side solar array and one of the
telescope's four Reaction Wheel Assemblies. The old array will be replaced
by a new-generation array that is smaller and will provide more power. The
starboard array was replaced during STS-109's first space walk Monday
morning. The two space walkers will also prepare for the mission's
upcoming space walks by installing foot restraints and removing Bay 5's
thermal cover.
Mission Specialist Nancy Currie will operate the shuttle's robotic
arm to assist the space walkers. The EVA is slated to last almost seven hours.
Flight Day 4 videos
and images
are up at NASA's SM3B site.
-
04 March - Afternoon Update - Flight Day 4 draws to
a close, and the first
spacewalk, to replace one of Hubble's
two solar
panels, is complete.
NASA reports:
Space
Walkers Install a New Hubble Solar Array
On Monday, during the first of five STS-109 space walks, Mission
Specialists John Grunsfeld and Rick Linnehan successfully replaced the
Hubble Space Telescope's starboard solar array. The new array will provide
more power and reduce the rate at which the telescope's orbit decays. They
also installed the new solar array's electrical support components and did
some setup work for the four remaining space walks.
Assisting Grunsfeld and Linnehan from inside Space Shuttle
Columbia were Mission Specialists Nancy Currie and Jim Newman. Currie
operated the shuttle’s robotic arm, and Newman choreographed the spacewalk.
The crew will spend the rest of the day cleaning up after today's
spacewalk and will conduct a review of procedures for tomorrow's spacewalk
before beginning a scheduled nine-hour sleep shift just before noon.
Then the seven astronauts will turn their attention to the
mission’s second space walk, which will be conducted by Newman and
Mission Specialist Mike Massimino and is slated to begin at 12:27 a.m. CST
(0627 GMT) Tuesday. They will replace Hubble’s port-side array.
STS-109
Ask the MCC Answers
The EVA ended at 8:38AM EST (1338 GMT) Monday, lasting 7hrs 1min. The crew began
their sleep period at 12:52AM EST (1752 GMT) and
will be awakened to begin Flight Day 5 at 8:52PM EST (0152 GMT Tuesday).
Preliminary tests of the new solar "wing" were successfully
conducted about 8:20AM EST today. The second solar array will be installed
during EVA #2 by Jim Newman and
Mike
Massimino, slated to begin shortly before 1:30AM EST (0630 GMT) Tuesday.
-
04 March - Morning Update - EVA 1 complete - As of
8:30AM EST (1330 GMT), two of Columbia's crewmen are back in the airlock,
having successfully
completed the first spacewalk of
STS-109.
The duo replaced one of Hubble's two solar
panels with a newer model. NASA reports:
First Spacewalk Complete
NASA
astronauts John Grunsfeld and Richard Linehan completed the first
spacewalk of the STS-109 mission on Monday morning. The two spent
approximately seven hours outside the space shuttle, installing a new
solar array on the Hubble Space Telescope and stowing the old one for
return to Earth.
The first tests of the solar array's "aliveness" were
successful. The STS-109 crew will perform five spacewalks
in five consecutive days to service the telescope. Grunsfeld and Richard
Linnehan will also conduct the third and fifth spacewalks. James Newman
and Michael Massimino will perform the second and fourth spacewalks.
The other solar panel will be replaced during tomorrow's spacewalk.
Flight Day 3 videos
and images
are up at NASA's SM3B site.
-
04 March - Early Morning Update - EVA 1 underway - The
first spacewalk to upgrade
the HST began this morning at 1:37AM EST (0637 GMT).
This is Rick
Linnehan's first time as a spacewalker, where John Grunsfeld has done this
before on previous Hubble servicing missions. Nancy
Currie will operate the Shuttle's robot
arm, which will serve as a mobile work platform.
-
04 March 2002 - We're in the middle of
Flight
Day 4. Astronauts Grunsfeld and
Linnehan are getting their
spacesuits on, and
expect to start the first
spacewalk of the mission at around 1:20AM EST (0620 GMT).
NASA reports:
STS-109
Astronauts to Conduct First Space Walk to Service Hubble
Monday morning, the STS-109 crew will conduct the first of five space
walks that will be performed to service the Hubble Space Telescope.
Mission Specialists John Grunsfeld and Rick Linnehan are slated to begin
the excursion at 12:27 a.m. CST (0627 GMT) Monday.
Their major objective will be the replacement of Hubble's starboard
solar array. The old array will be stowed in Space Shuttle Columbia's payload
bay. They will also install the array's associated electrical support
components, called a Diode Box Assembly, and do some prep work for the
mission's other space walks.
Grunsfeld and Linnehan will receive assistance from Mission
Specialist Nancy Currie, the shuttle's robot arm operator. Commander Scott
Altman and Duane Carey will document the space walkers' activities with
video and still images.
EVA #1 is scheduled
to last 6.5
hours. Follow the action
on NASA
TV, and read play-by-play at the links at top
right.
-
03 March 2002 - Evening Update -
Flight
Day 4 has begun, with the Shuttle crew getting their wake-up call
shortly before 9PM EST Sunday (0200 GMT Monday).
NASA reports:
Crew to Conduct First STS-109 Space Walk
The crew onboard Columbia got a jump on its day when Mission Control sent
up the wake-up call a few minutes early to avoid a communications drop
out.
Spacewalkers John Grunsfeld and Rick Linnehan are getting
ready for a routine private medical conference with their doctor on the
ground. They're scheduled to float outside the hatch at about 12:30 a.m.
CST [1:30AM EST/0630 GMT] Monday, but could leave the confines of the shuttle as much as an
hour early.
Today's spacewalk will feature the replacement of the first of two
solar arrays. The new smaller, and stronger third-generation solar arrays
will improve the power efficiency of the Hubble Space Telescope.
All five space walks will occur on consecutive days. Work during
the other four will include installation of another solar array,
replacement of a Power Control Unit, installation of the new Advanced Camera
for Surveys, and installation of a Cryogenic Cooler and its Cooling System
Radiator for the Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer.
Eleven
days, two teams, five spacewalks, major
surgery at 17,000 miles per hour - how
cool is that?!? Follow the action
on NASA
TV, and read play-by-play at the links at top
right.
-
03 March 2002 - Afternoon Update - On-orbit operations
continue, with the
Hubble Space Telescope now settled in
Columbia's
payload bay. The astronauts are in their sleep period now,
having completed
Flight
Day 3.
NASA reports:
STS-109
Captures Hubble and Retracts Solar Arrays
Space Shuttle Columbia arrived at its destination, the Hubble Space
Telescope, early Sunday. At 3:31 a.m. CST [4:31AM EST/0931 GMT] Sunday, STS-109
Mission Specialist Nancy Currie used Columbia's robot arm to capture
Hubble. She later placed it into the orbiter's payload bay to set the
stage for the five space walks that the STS-109 crew will perform to
service and upgrade the telescope.
The crew then set about retracting Hubble's two solar arrays.
The motors that drive the two arrays had not been used since the panels were
originally deployed during the first servicing mission in December 1993.
The motors performed flawlessly, taking approximately five minutes to retract
each of the two arrays.
Following a goodnight call from Mission Control, Columbia's crew
began a scheduled eight-hour sleep period just before noon. They will
awaken about 8 p.m. [9PM EST/1400 GMT] to prepare for the first of five scheduled spacewalks
for this mission. John Grunsfeld and Rick Linnehan will perform the
spacewalk which is slated to begin at 12:30 a.m. [1:30AM EST/0630 GMT] Monday, but could begin
up to one hour early.
During the planned 6 1/2 hour excursion, Grunsfeld and Linnehan
will install the first of two new-generation solar panels on the
telescope. The new panels are smaller than the current solar arrays but
will generate increased power for the orbiting observatory.
Flight
Day 3 images are now available in the NASA Spaceflight
Gallery.
-
03 March - Morning Update - Hubble Captured! - Columbia's
robot arm, operated by space veteran
Nancy Currie, grappled
the HST and gently placed it into the
cargo bay in
preparation for
5
back-to-back spacewalks this week.
NASA reports:
STS-109 Captures Hubble; Crew to Conduct First Space Walk
Monday
Space
Shuttle Columbia arrived at its destination, the Hubble Space Telescope,
early Sunday. At 3:31 a.m. CST (0931 GMT) Sunday, STS-109 Mission
Specialist Nancy Currie used Columbia's robot arm to capture Hubble. She
later placed it into the orbiter's payload bay to set the stage for the
five space walks that the STS-109 crew will perform to service and upgrade
the telescope.
Mission
Specialists John Grunsfeld and Rick Linnehan are scheduled to begin the
mission's first space walk at 12:27 a.m. CST (0627 GMT) Monday. They will
install a new solar array onto Hubble.
All five space walks will occur on consecutive days. Work during
the other four will include installation of another solar array,
replacement of a Power Control Unit, installation of the new Advanced
Camera for Surveys, and installation of a Cryogenic Cooler and its Cooling
System Radiator for the Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer.
Here's some "Hubble
Hits" from The Houston
Chronicle. What wonders will the improved
model reveal?
-
03 March 2002 - Flight Day 3 is underway. Here's today's
timeline from NASA:
The final phase of the rendezvous with Hubble will begin at 1
a.m. Central on Sunday. Commander Scott Altman will take manual control of
the approach about 2:30 a.m., as the shuttle closes within a half mile of
Hubble. At about 3:13 a.m., astronaut Nancy Currie will use Columbia's
robotic arm to capture the telescope as the shuttle flies 350 miles above
the Pacific, east of Australia.
Central Time (CST) = Eastern Time (EST) - 1;
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) = EST + 5.
Flight Day 2 videos
are up at NASA Goddard's SM3B site.
-
02 March 2002 - Evening Update - With all gear checked
and ready, Columbia is closing
in on the Hubble Space Telescope. The
crew will
awaken at 8:52PM EST (1352 GMT) and begin the final phase of a
rendezvous
with the orbiting observatory at about 2AM EST (0700 GMT) Sunday. Astronaut
Nancy Currie is planned to capture the telescope with the shuttle's robotic
arm at about 4:14AM (0914 GMT) Sunday.
NASA reports:
Managers
Confirm Cooling System OK; Crew to Complete Mission
As Columbia's crew completed preparations Saturday for the capture of the
Hubble Space Telescope, mission managers confirmed that a degraded shuttle
cooling system will pose no problems for Columbia's flight.
Following an extensive analysis, managers determined that,
although operating at a lower capacity, the system in question still
provides sufficient cooling for shuttle equipment and Columbia can proceed
with the capture and rejuvenation of the Hubble Space Telescope. The
STS-109 crew -- Commander Scott Altman, Pilot Duane Carey, and Mission
Specialists Nancy Currie, Jim Newman, Rick Linnehan, John Grunsfeld and
Mike Massimino -- prepared for Sunday morning's planned rendezvous and
capture of the orbiting observatory.
Flight
Day 2 videos are now available in the NASA Spaceflight
Gallery.
-
02 March - Afternoon Update - Mission To Continue! - Shortly
before 3PM EST, Space Shuttle Program Manager Ron Dittemore stated that, based on the
perfect
functioning of Freon coolant loop
#2, and the apparent stability of loop
#1,
that the mission will continue on schedule. The
seven astronauts will have
good news waiting for them when they awaken at 8:52PM EST tonight (0152 GMT Sunday) to begin
Flight Day 3. NASA reports:
STS-109 Chases Hubble Space Telescope
Mission Control bid Columbia's crew an early good night as the crew
prepared to go to sleep just before noon central time today.
As the crew prepared for sleep, Spacecraft communicator Steve
Maclean told Commander Scott Altman that Mission Managers would meet later
today to discuss ongoing analysis of the freon loop cooling system, but
the flight team was quite optimistic. The crew was told to plan on a
Sunday morning rendezvous and capture of the Hubble Space Telescope.
Watch NASA
TV to see Hubble capture about 3:14 a.m. CST [4:14AM EST/0914 GMT] Sunday.
NASA TV Schedule
More launch and preflight videos
at KSC. Mission Control images
are up in the NASA Spaceflight
Gallery.
-
02 March 2002 - The astronauts of Shuttle
Columbia spent their first full day (they're on a wacky half-overnight
schedule) in pursuit of the
HST. Will it be their last
full day? NASA reports:
Astronauts Fly Toward Hubble
Most of the crew's efforts today have focused on checkouts of the
rendezvous tools that will be used as Commander Scott Altman, Pilot Duane
Carey and Flight Engineer Nancy Currie complete the final stages of the
rendezvous early Sunday morning. Mission Specialists Rick Linnehan, John
Grunsfeld, Mike Massimino and Jim Newman began checkouts of the spacesuits
they will wear over the course of five scheduled spacewalks to rejuvenate
and enhance the Hubble Space Telescope.
The crew of the Columbia arose at 8:22 pm CST [9:22PM/1422 GMT]
Friday to begin their planned activities in preparation for Sunday's
rendezvous with Hubble and the next week’s EVAs. Currently, at 2:30 am
CST the crew is doing a video survey of the orbiter’s payload bay to
check out equipment and technical hardware to be used to service and
update the space telescope. Later in the day the crew will prepare the
orbiter’s airlock, check out EVA equipment, and then take part in a
public affairs event with several media organizations.
Flight Day 2 began Friday evening and will end Saturday afternoon, by
which time NASA managers will confirm the continuation of the mission.
STS-109 may have to end before any of the HST
servicing activities even start, because one of the two Freon-cooling loops
in the payload bay doors (which help cool the
orbiter's electronics) are
malfunctioning. Safety rules demand a return home if one system fails, but
it is not completely down - just operating in a "degraded" state.
This is giving everyone hope that the mission can continue as planned.
The Flight
Day 1 Crew Activity Report and images
are now available in the NASA Spaceflight
Gallery.
-
01 March 2002 - Evening Update - Flight controllers are
keeping an eye on the coolant
situation, but for now, the mission
will continue. The astronauts are in no
danger, and NASA seems optimistic that the flight
will not be curtailed. A final decision will be made tomorrow.
NASA reports:
Managers
Optimistic Cooling System OK; STS-109 Chases Hubble
Space
Shuttle Columbia will continue its pursuit of the Hubble Space Telescope.
The seven STS-109 astronauts received news early Friday night that
managers are optimistic that the full mission will go forward as planned.
Managers will meet again at midday Saturday to evaluate the situation. Two
cooling systems are onboard Columbia and the other is operating perfectly.
Onboard Columbia, Commander Scott Altman and Pilot Duane Carey
will adjust Columbia's orbit at 11:10 p.m. CST Friday [12:10AM EST/0510
GMT Saturday]. The crew will also check the robotic arm and spacesuits in
preparation for Columbia's arrival at the telescope and the mission's five
space walks. Mission Specialist Nancy Currie is slated to grapple Hubble
with the robot arm at 3:14 a.m. CST [4:14AM EST/0914 GMT] Sunday.
Columbia's mission is proceeding as normal, with the crew
spending their first full day in orbit checking out the equipment they
will use to capture the Hubble Space Telescope on Sunday. Shuttle managers
initially reviewed information regarding a degraded cooling system aboard
Columbia late Friday, and they are optimistic the problem will not have
any impact on the flight. However, a further review of the situation is
planned for midday on Saturday.
Preflight
videos are available in the NASA Spaceflight
Gallery.
-
01 March - Afternoon Update - Columbia is orbiting the
Earth, chasing
after the Hubble Space Telescope, which it will capture on Sunday. But wait,
Houston - there is a problem
with one of two systems
which cool the Orbiter's electronics and life support
gear, and that
could force flight controllers to cut
the mission short. NASA reports:
Mission
Control Evaluates Freon Loop Flow Rate
Shortly after the on-time launch of Space Shuttle Columbia today,
flight controllers detected a low flow rate in an orbiter freon loop that
helps to dissipate heat from the vehicle. Shuttle managers are evaluating
the issue, studying the flight data to determine if the loop will be able
to operate within acceptable limits for the rest of the mission.
Following Columbia’s launch from the Kennedy Space Center this
morning, flight controllers noticed a degraded flow rate in one of two
freon cooling loops. There are two freon loops that are part of the active
thermal control system on board the shuttle that work to dissipate heat
from the orbiter.
The degraded flow rate, although low, is slightly above flight
rule limits. Mission managers are currently reviewing the flight data and
studying past performance of the sensors that measure the flow rate to
build confidence in the observed flow rate and its ability to support the
mission through completion.
In the meantime, the crew has gone to sleep and will wake up
just before 8:30 p.m. central time [9:30PM EST/1430 GMT] to begin their first full day on orbit.
If all goes as planned, Columbia will reach the Hubble
on early Sunday morning. Play-by-play at right.
-
01 March 2002 - Morning Update - LIFTOFF! - Shuttle Columbia
roared into orbit
in a beautiful predawn
launch under
tight security at Kennedy Space Center in
Florida.
NASA reports:
Columbia
Launches, Heads to Hubble Space Telescope
The seven astronauts of Space Shuttle Mission STS-109 are on
their way to service the Hubble Space
Telescope. The mission will showcase the intricate work that can be
done in space as the crew installs new equipment on the telescope in a
series of five space walks over the next 11 days.
America's first Space
Shuttle, Columbia lifted off this morning at 6:22 a.m. EST [1122 GMT] from the
Kennedy Space Center sporting a new "glass cockpit," increased
cargo capacity, a strengthened crew cabin and enhanced protection of its
cooling system from orbital debris.
Columbia Returns to Space to Service Hubble
Columbia is slated to grapple the orbital observatory and bring
it into the payload bay early Sunday morning. While at Hubble, the crew
will conduct five space walks to perform the servicing work.
The biggest improvements the mission
will make to Hubble will be installation of the Advanced Camera for
Surveys and new solar arrays. Since its launch in April 1990, Hubble has
provided scientific data and images of unprecedented resolution
revolutionizing scientific knowledge.
The Shuttle engines lit up the
early-morning clouds as the
Hubble
Telescope orbited overhead. The International Space Station crew enjoyed
a view of the launch from above, as they orbited over Bermuda. Launch video here.
Crew bios here.
-
01 March 2002 - Launch Day - After a 1-day delay,
everything is lined up for
this morning's launch of the
newly-refitted Space
Shuttle Columbia.
NASA reports:
Shuttle Mission to Hubble to Launch Friday
All systems are go for launch of Space Shuttle mission STS-109
Friday morning at [6:22AM EST/1122 GMT]. NASA Managers had delayed liftoff for 24
hours of this, the fourth
Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. A combination of expected
low temperatures, winds and humidity Thursday morning pushed the launch
environment to the limit of safe conditions.
Columbia,
Crew Set to Begin Trip to Hubble Space Telescope
Launch day has arrived for Space Shuttle Columbia and its seven-member
crew. Forecasts indicate that there is a 70 percent chance of acceptable weather
at launch time. The main concern is low cloud ceilings.
This will be
Columbia's first flight since STS-93 in 1999. Astronaut Scott Altman is
serving as commander for STS-109, and Astronaut Duane Carey is the
mission's pilot. Astronauts Nancy Currie, John Grunsfeld, Richard Linnehan,
Michael Massimino and James Newman are serving as mission specialists.
Launch Day Arrives for Columbia, Crew
During
the 11-day mission, the crew will take five space walks. They will add the Advanced Camera for
Surveys to Hubble's array of instruments, making the spacecraft's
observations ten times better. The seven-member crew will also replace the
telescope's solar arrays.
Follow launch activities on NASA
Television or NASA TV on
the Web. For an interactive view of STS-109, click
here. (Requires Flash
Player)
Check out Mission Specialist John Grunsfeld's Notes from Space.
Despite some low-level clouds, things are looking good for today's
pre-dawn launch. Check the play-by-play links in the right-hand column for live coverage,
check NASA's
webcams, or watch live video on NASA TV!
This page will cover the STS-109 Space Shuttle mission from
launch to undocking. Part 1 covers
preflight activities, including yesterday's launch scrub.
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