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MAY 2009 CONTENTS i

CONTENTSSection PageS T S - 1 25 MI S S I ON OVE R VI E W .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1S T S - 1 25 T I ME L I NE OVE R VI E W .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1MI S S I ON PR OFI L E . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 1 3 H S T S E R VI C I NG MI S S I ON PR I OR I T IE S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5H UB B L E S PA C E T E L E S C OPE H I S T OR Y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7FL I G H T C ON T R OL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 27 S T S - 1 25 A T L A N T IS C R E W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29PA Y L OA D OVE R VI E W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 9

H U B B L E S E R V I C I N G M I S S I O N P A Y L O A D B A Y H A R D W A R E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 9F L I G H T S U P P O R T S Y S T E M ( F S S ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 9 S O F T C A P T U R E A N D R E N D E Z V O U S S Y S T E M ( S C R S ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 9S U P E R L I G H T W E I G H T I N T E R C H A N G E A B L E C A R R I E R ( S L I C ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1 O R B I T A L R E P L A C E M E N T U N I T C A R R I E R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2 M U L T I - U S E L I G H T W E I G H T E Q U I P M E N T C A R R I E R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 3

R E N D E Z VOUS & D OC K I N G . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 3S PA C E W A L KS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 6 7 S M4 FA C I L I T IE S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 7 7S H UT T L E R E FE R E NC E D A T A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81L A UN C H A N D L A N D I N G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

L A U N C H . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 9 A B O R T - T O - O R B I T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9T R A N S A T L A N T I C A B O R T L A N D I N G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 9 R E T U R N - T O - L A U N C H - S I T E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 9 A B O R T O N C E A R O U N D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 9L A N D I N G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 9


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ii CONTENTS MAY 2009

Section PageME D I A A S S I S TA N C E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 07PUB L I C A FFA I R S C ON T A C T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 09


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MAY 2009 MISSION OVERVIEW 1

STS-125 MISSION OVERVIEW

The

STS

125

crew

members

take

a

moment

to

pose

for

a

crew

photo

before

a

training

session

in

the

SpaceVehicleMockupFacilityatNASAsJohnsonSpaceCenter. Fromtheleftareastronauts

MikeMassimino,MichaelGood,bothmissionspecialists;GregoryC.Johnson,pilot;

ScottAltman,commander;MeganMcArthur,JohnGrunsfeldandAndrewFeustel,

allmissionspecialists.

TheSTS125missionofspaceshuttleAtlantisis

scheduled for launch at 1:31 p.m. EDT on

Tuesday,May 12, from LaunchComplex 39A

at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

Atlantiscrew

will

service

the

Hubble

Space

Telescopeforthefifthandfinaltime.

Nineteen years since its launch inApril 1990,

Hubbles view of the universe again will be

dramaticallyimprovedwiththeadditionoftwo

new science instruments, the repair of two

others,and the replacementofotherhardware

thatwillextendthetelescopeslifeintothenext

decade.

The mission will be commanded by retired

Navy

Capt.

Scott

Altman

with

retired

Navy

Capt. Gregory C. Johnson serving as pilot.

MeganMcArthur is the flight engineer. The

remaining fourmissionspecialistswillpairoff

in teams for the five spacewalks. They are

AndrewFeustel,AirForceCol.MichaelGood,

JohnGrunsfeld,andMikeMassimino.


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OnFlightDayThreeAtlantiswillarrivewithin

35feetof the telescope,atanaltitudeofabout

350 statute miles. McArthur will carefully

extend

the

robotic

arm

to

capture

a

grapple

fixtureonthetelescope. Shethenwillcarefully

placeHubbleatopitsFlightSupportSystem,or

FSS, in theback end of the shuttles payload

bay.

TheFSSservesasahightechlazySusanthat

canberotatedandtiltedtopresentthedesired

partofthetelescopeforwardforeasyaccessby

spacewalkers, and to offer the best viewing

angles for cameras and crewmembers inside

Atlantis.It

also

provides

all

electrical

and

mechanical interfacesbetween the shuttle and

thetelescope.

WithAtlantispayloadbay essentially serving

asagiant toolbox, thestage isset for the first

of five spacewalks, known as Extravehicular

Activity,

or

EVA,

on

consecutive

days

beginningonFlightDayFour. Eachspacewalk

isscheduledtolastabout61/2hours.

Since almost every part of Hubble was

designed to be repaired and upgraded by

astronauts, training has focused on actual

hardware at NASAs Goddard Space Flight

Center, Greenbelt, Md., and underwater

mockups at the Johnson Space Center in

Houston,wheretimelineshavebeenrefinedfor

eachdays

scheduled

work.

AstronautJohnGrunsfeld,STS125missionspecialist,donsatrainingversionofthe

ExtravehicularMobilityUnit(EMU)spacesuitbeforebeingsubmergedinthewaters

oftheNeutralBuoyancyLaboratory(NBL)neartheJohnsonSpaceCenter. Astronauts

AndrewFeustel(left)andMikeMassimino,bothmissionspecialists,assistGrunsfeld.


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4 MISSION OVERVIEW MAY 2009

The actual servicing ofHubblewillbegin on

FlightDayFourwiththefirstEVA. Grunsfeld,

joined by Feustel initially, will focus on

swapping

the

current

Wide

Field

Planetary

Camera 2 with the likesized Wide Field

Camera 3, which will extend Hubbles

capability not onlyby seeing deeper into the

universe, but also by providing widefield

imagery in all three regionsof the spectrum

ultraviolet,visibleandnear infrared. It is this

widefieldpanchromaticcoveragethatmakes

WFC3 so unique. The new instrument has a

mass of 900 pounds and measures 26 inches

high,74incheswide,and87incheslong.

The next task has Grunsfeld and Feustel

swapping the Science Instrument Command

and Data Handling (SI C&DH) system in

Bay10withagroundsparecalled intoservice

when the inorbit units A side suffered

a permanent electronic failure in late

September 2008. Theunitprovides command

capability to Hubbles science instruments

from the ground and sends data back. Its

criticalitydictated

aslight

shuffle

to

the

spacewalk plan to place the removal and

replacement of the SIC&DH as the servicing

missionssecondmajortask.

The first spacewalk will wrap up with a

forwardlookingtaskrequiringinstallationofa

SoftCaptureandRendezvousSystem,orSCRS,

which will enable the future rendezvous,

capture,andsafedisposalofHubblebyeithera

crewedorroboticmission.

Comprisedof theSoftCaptureMechanism,or

SCM, and the RelativeNavigation System, or

RNS, the SCRS will mount underneath the

telescope,usingaLowImpactDockingSystem,

or LIDS, interface. LIDS is designed to be

compatible

with

the

rendezvous

and

docking

systems that will be used on the next

generationspacetransportationvehicle.

The SCM is about 72 inches in diameter and

24 inches high and will be attached to the

telescopeby threesetsofjawsthatclamponto

the existing berthing pins on Hubbles aft

bulkhead.

Alternating EVA days, Massimino and Good

willtake

their

turn

on

Flight

Day

Five,

focusing

on the removaland replacementof threepairs

ofgyroscopes known asRate SensorUnits, or

RSUs. In concertwith star trackers and Fine

Guidance Sensors (FGS), the RSUs help point

the telescope precisely for its science

observations.

EVA2willendwiththeswapoutofthefirstof

twobatterymodulesbehindanequipmentbay

directlyabovetheWFC3location. Eachmodule

weighs460

pounds

and

measures

36

inches

long, 32 incheswide, and 11 inches high and

contains threebatteries. Eachnickelhydrogen

batteryweighs125poundsandprovidesallthe

electricalpower to supportHubble operations

during the night portion of its orbit. The

secondbatterymodulewillbe installedduring

thefifthandfinalEVA.

Designed to last only five years, Hubbles

batteries

have

lasted

more

than

13

years

beyond

theirdesignlife,longerthanthoseinanyother

spacecraftlocatedinlowEarthorbit.


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Installationof

the

second

new

science

instrument, the CosmicOrigins Spectrograph,

or COS,will kick off the third spacewalkby

GrunsfeldandFeustelonFlightDaySix. The

size of a phone booth, COS will effectively

restore spectroscopy to Hubbles scientific

arsenal. Itwill replace the CorrectiveOptics

Space Telescope Axial Replacement, or

COSTAR, instrument that corrected Hubbles

vision during the first servicing mission

15years

ago.

COS

weighs

851

pounds

and

measures 86 inches long, 35 incheswide, and

35incheshigh.

COSTARincludedaningeniousdesignofsmall

mirrors on deployable arms that provided

correctedlight

beams

to

the

first

generation

of

Hubble instrumentsin1993. Withallscientific

instruments designed on the ground to

compensatefortheprimarymirrorsspherical

aberration,COSTAR isno longerneededand

willbe placed in a protective canister for its

returntoEarth.

With theCOS task completed,Grunsfeld and

Feustelwill turn their attention to one of the

more delicate tasks of the mission, the

restoration of the power supply for the

AdvancedCamera forSurveys,orACS,which

hasbeen inoperable sinceJanuary 2007,when

itsbackuppowersupplysystemfailed.


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Whileseatedatthecommandersstation,astronautScottAltman,STS125commander,

participatesinapostinsertion/deorbittrainingsessioninthecrewcompartmenttrainer(CCT2)

intheSpaceVehicleMockupFacilityatJohnsonSpaceCenter.

RepairingtheACSpowersupplywillbeginbypreparing the worksite for removal and

replacement of the failed circuitboards. This

requires first removing 36 screws from the

electronics access panel using a specially

designed fastener capture plate that will

prevent loss of the tiny screws after removal.

Whenallofthescrewshavebeenremoved,the

entirecaptureplatecanbereleasedasoneunit,

safely taking theaccesspanelandscrewswith

it.

With theACSpower failure likely confined to

the instruments lowvoltage power supply, a

direct repair of that subsystemwould require

toomuch time for thespacewalk,soengineers

devisedaplan to replace theentireelectronics

box, which will be powered by a separatelowvoltage power supply. The replacement

powersupplydrawspowerfromtheAdvanced

CameraforSurveysprimarypowerconnectors

viaanastronautinstalledsplittercable.

Ifcarefulremovalof36screwswerentenough,

the fourthspacewalkonFlightDaySevenwill

arguably set the bar higher for access panel

removalwhenMassimino andGood focus on

therepair

of

the

Space

Telescope

Imaging

Spectrographs,orSTIS,power supply system.

Theywillbeginby attaching another fastener

captureplatetosecure117screws,sotheywill

nothavetocapturethemwiththeirpressurized

glovedhands.


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AstronautMeganMcArthur,STS125missionspecialist,donsatrainingversionofher

shuttlelaunchandentrysuitinpreparationforatrainingsessionintheSpaceVehicleMockup

FacilityatJohnsonSpaceCenter. UnitedSpaceAlliance(USA)suittechnicianCodyMcNeil

assistsMcArthur.

To repair STIS, astronauts will replace a

lowvoltage power supply board, which

containsafailed

power

converter.

The

repair

is

straightforward, but intricate, and Hubble

engineershavedesignedspecialtoolstorestore

one of two fully redundant electronic chains

of the instrument. Due to this power supply

failure, STIS has been in safe mode since

August2004.

Oncetheyhavegainedaccessbehindthepanel,

the next challengewillbe grasping the failed

circuit

boards

for

removal.

A

specially

designed card extraction tool will allow the

astronauts tomoreeasilygrabandremove the

circuit boards, using large handles made

specifically for their gloves. The astronauts

will remove the failedpower supply cardand

click in the new one, much like replacing a

circuitboardonacomputer.

Anew, simplifiedpanel thenwillbe installed

over theopenelectronicscavity,only this time

117fasteners

will

not

be

required

because

the

new panel fits securely in placeby throwing

onlytwohandfriendlyleversintoplace.

The fourth spacewalk will conclude with the

removalofsome temporary thermal insulation

on the outside of an equipment bay, and

installation of a more permanent thermal

protection blanket known as New Outer

BlanketLayer,orNOBL.

Thefifth

and

final

spacewalk

planned

for

HubbleservicingwillbeginonFlightDayEight

with Grunsfeld and Feustel installing the

second battery group replacement in an

equipmentbayabovetheWideFieldCamera2

and next to the compartment where the first

batterysetwasinstalledonEVA2.


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This

image

depicts

the

release

of

the

Hubble

Space

Telescope

on

Flight

Day

9.

The two astronauts then will remove and

replaceoneofthethreeFineGuidanceSensors,

FGS2,usedtoprovidepointinginformationfor

the spacecraft. The sensors also serve as a

scientific instrument for determining the

precisepositionandmotionofstars,knownas

astrometry.

The threeFineGuidanceSensors canhold the

telescopesteady

for

scientific

observations

over

longperiodsoftime. Thesystemservesasthe

telescopes pointing control system and has a

precision comparable tobeing able to hold a

laserbeam focusedonadime200milesaway,

the distance from Washington D.C. to New

YorkCity.

Therefurbishedand improvedFGSpreviously

had been returned on the third servicing

mission in December 1999. This refurbished

unit has an enhanced inorbit alignment

capability over the original FGS design. It

weighs478poundsandmeasures5.5feetlong,

4feet

wide,

and

2feet

high.

GrunsfeldandFeustelslasttaskbeforeclosing

upthetelescopeforgoodwillbetoremoveand

replaceat leastoneadditional thermalblanket

(NOBL)protectingHubbleselectronics.


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AftertheworkonHubbleiscompleted,Altman

andJohnsonwill oversee Atlantis reboost of

the telescope to a higher altitude, ensuring it

will

survive

the

tug

of

Earths

gravity

for

the

remainder of its operational lifetime. A final

decisiononhowmuch altitudewillbegained

by the reboostwillbe dependent onAtlantis

availablepropellant.

Hubble Space Telescope science observations

are expected to resume approximately three

weeksaftertheshuttledeparts.

Withservicingcompleted,thestagewillbeset

forrelease

of

Hubble

from

the

shuttles

robotic

arm for the final time on Flight Day Nine.

Beforerelease,thetelescopesnewbatterieswill

be fully charged by placing Atlantis into a

position allowing Hubbles solar arrays sun

time. The aperturedoorwillbeopened and

the highgain antennas once again will be

deployed.

McArthur will release the grapple fixture as

Altman and Johnson guide Atlantis carefully

away,before

subtle

thruster

firings

place

the

shuttleasafedistancefromHubble.

Laterthatday,attentionwillturntosurveysof

Atlantis thermal protection system, including

its wing leading edge panels, nose cap and

underside tiles. Imagery expertswill evaluate

thedatatodeterminethehealthofthethermal

protection

system.

A crewoffdutyday on FlightDay 10willbe

followed on Flight Day 11 by the standard

daybeforelanding checkout of landing

systems,includingtheflightcontrolsystemand

reaction control system thrusters and

accompanyingelectronics.

OnceAtlantisisclearedforentryfollowingthe

late inspection imagery review, space shuttle

Endeavour,on

standby

at

Launch

Pad

39B

for

serviceasarescuevehicle,willbe released for

processing toward its mission to the

International Space Station inJune. Kennedy

groundoperationswillprepareitforrelocation

topad39AaboutaweekafterAtlantisreturns

toEarth.

STS125willbethe30thforAtlantis,following

its previous flight to the International Space

Station in February 2008 to deliver the

EuropeanSpace

Agencys

Columbus

science

laboratory. Thiswillbe the126th flight in the

history of the shuttle program. Landing is

scheduledatabout9:58a.m.EDTonMay23,at

theKennedySpaceCenter.


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Thespace

shuttle

Atlantis,

backdropped

over

acolorful

Earth,

is

pictured

after

it

undockedfromtheInternationalSpaceStationin2006.


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MAY 2009 TIMELINE OVERVIEW 11

STS-125 TIMELINE OVERVIEW

Flight Day 1

Launch PayloadBayDoorOpening KuBandAntennaDeployment ShuttleRoboticArmActivation SpaceSupportEquipmentCheckout UmbilicalWellandHandheldExternal

TankVideoandStillsDownlink

Flight Day 2

AtlantisThermalProtectionSystemSurveywithOrbiterBoomSensorSystem

ExtravehicularMobilityUnitCheckout PayloadBayFlightSupportSystem

Preparations

RendezvousToolsCheckout HSTApertureDoorClosure HSTManeuvertoRendezvousandGrapple

Attitude

HSTHighGainAntennaRetractionFlight Day 3

RendezvouswiththeHubbleSpaceTelescope

HSTSolarArraysPositionedforGrapple HSTGrappleandBerthonFlightSupport

System

ShuttleRoboticArmSurveyofHST EVA1ProcedureReviewFlight Day 4

EVA1byGrunsfeldandFeustel(WideFieldCameraIIIInstallation,Science

InstrumentCommandandDataHandling

Computer,SoftCaptureMechanism

InstallationandLatchOverCenterlineKit

Installation)

WideFieldCameraIIIAlivenessTestandCheckout

SIC&DHAlivenessCheckout Bay3BatteryCheckout EVA2ProcedureReviewFlight Day 5

EVA

2

by

Massimino

and

Good

(Rate

SensorUnitChangeoutandBay2Battery

Changeout)

Bay2BatteryCheckout RateSensorUnitCheckout EVA3ProcedureReviewFlight Day 6

EVA3byGrunsfeldandFeustel(CosmicOrigins

Spectrograph

replaces

the

CorrectiveOpticsSpaceTelescopeAxial

ReplacementknownasCOSTARandthe

repairtotheAdvancedCameraforSurveys)

CosmicOriginsSpectrographCheckout ASCCheckout EVA4ProcedureReview


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12 TIMELINE OVERVIEW MAY 2009

Flight Day 7

EVA4byMassiminoandGood(SpaceTelescopeImagingSpectrograph

refurbishmentand

New

Outer

Layer

BlanketreplacementoverBay8)

SpaceTelescopeImagingSpectrographCheckout

EVA5ProcedureReviewFlight Day 8

EVA5byGrunsfeldandFeustel(Bay3Battery

Changeout,

Fine

Guidance

Sensor

2

ReplacementandNewOuterLayerBlanket

replacementoverBay5)

FineGuidanceSensor2Checkout Bay3BatteryCheckout AdvancedCameraforSurveysandWide

FieldCameraIIICombinedCheckout

HighGainAntennaDeployment HSTReboost,ifpropellantpermits RendezvousToolsCheckoutFlight Day 9

HSTApertureDoorOpening Atlantis/HSTManeuvertoReleaseAttitude

HSTRelease AtlantisSeparationManeuver FlightSupportSystemStowageinPayload

Bay

OBSSUnberth OBSSLateInspectionofAtlantisThermal

ProtectionSystem

Flight Day 10

CrewOffDutyTime CrewNewsConference Atlantis/ISSShiptoShipCallFlight Day 11

FlightControlSystemCheckout ReactionControlSystemHotFireTest CabinStowage

Ku

Band

Antenna

Stowage

Flight Day 12

DeorbitPreparations PayloadBayDoorClosing DeorbitBurn KennedySpaceCenterLanding


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MAY 2009 MISSION PROFILE 13

MISSION PROFILE

CREWCommander: ScottAltman

Pilot: GregoryC.Johnson

MissionSpecialist1: MichaelGoodMissionSpecialist2: MeganMcArthurMissionSpecialist3: JohnGrunsfeldMissionSpecialist4: MikeMassiminoMissionSpecialist5: AndrewFeustelLAUNCH

Orbiter: Atlantis(OV104)LaunchSite: KennedySpaceCenter

LaunchPad39A

LaunchDate: May12,2009LaunchTime: 1:31p.m.EDTLaunchWindow: 42minutes

(approximately)

Altitude: 297NauticalMiles(342miles)Orbital

Insertion;304NM

(350miles)

Rendezvous

Inclination: 28.5DegreesDuration: 10Days20Hours

27Minutes

VEHICLE DATA

ShuttleLiftoffWeight: 4,519,343pounds

Orbiter/PayloadLiftoffWeight: 264,165pounds

Orbiter/PayloadLandingWeight: 226,040pounds

SoftwareVersion: OI32

Space Shuttle Main Engines:

SSME1: 2059SSME2: 2044SSME3: 2057ExternalTank: ET130SRBSet: BI137RSRMSet: 105SHUTTLE ABORTS

Abort Landing Sites

RTLS: KennedySpaceCenterShuttleLandingFacility

TAL: PrimaryMoron,SpainAOA: PrimaryEdwardsAirForceBaseLANDING

LandingDate: May23,2009LandingTime: 9:58a.m.EDTPrimarylandingSite: KennedySpaceCenter

ShuttleLandingFacility

PAYLOADS

HubbleSpaceTelescopeServicingMission

(HSTSM4)


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14 MISSION PROFILE MAY 2009

Thispageintentionallyleftblank.


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MAY 2009 MISSION PRIORITIES 15

HST SERVICING MISSION PRIORITIES

1.Three

Rate

Sensor

Unit

(gyroscope)

removal

andreplacement

2. WideFieldCamera3installedinplaceofWideFieldPlanetaryCamera2

3. ScienceInstrumentCommand&DataHandlingSystemswapout

4. CosmicOriginsSpectrographinstallation5. BatteryModulereplacementinstallation

(Bays2and3)6. FineGuidanceSensor2removaland

replacement

7.Remaining

instrument

repair

8. SpaceTelescopeImagingSpectrograph

powersupplysystemrepair,orrestorepowersupplyfortheAdvancedCameraforSurveys*

9. NewOuterBlanketLayerinstallation(Bays8,5&7)

10.SoftCaptureMechanisminstallation11.ReboostHubbleSpaceTelescopealtitude*Choiceoffirstinstrumentrepairwillbeprioritizedbased on spacewalk efficiency and missionreplanningscenarios


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16 MISSION PRIORITIES MAY 2009

HST SERVICING MISSION SUCCESS CRITERIA

MinimumMissionSuccess TwoRateSensorUnits(fourgyroscopes)

WideFieldCamera3 ScienceInstrumentCommand&DataHandlingsystem

CosmicOriginsSpectrograph Bay2&3BatteryModulereplacements(six

new

batteries)

FullMissionSuccess ThreeRateSensorUnits(fivegyroscopes)

WideFieldCamera3 ScienceInstrumentCommand&DataHandlingsystem

CosmicOriginsSpectrograph Bay2&3BatteryModulereplacements(six

new

batteries)

SpaceTelescopeImagingSpectrographrepair,orAdvancedCameraforSurveysrepair

FineGuidanceSensor2


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MAY 2009 HST HISTORY 17

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE HISTORY

TheHubbleSpaceTelescope(HST)headsbacktowarditsnormalroutine,after

aweekofservicingandupgradingbytheSTS109astronautcrewin2002.

HUBBLE PROGRAM

Launched inApril 1990 and poised formany

moreyearsoftrailblazingsciencerangingfrom

our own solar system to the edge of the

observable universe, NASAs Hubble Space

Telescope is fulfilling the hopes astronomers

have long held for a large, optically superb

telescope orbiting above theEarthsdistorting

atmosphere and providing uniquely clear anddeepviewsofthecosmos.

The only one of NASAs four Great

Observatories(Hubble,ComptonGammaRay

Observatory,ChandraXRayObservatory,and

Spitzer SpaceTelescope) that is serviceableby

space shuttle astronauts, Hubble has seen its

capabilities grow immensely in its 18 historic

years of operation. This has been the direct

result of the installation of new, cuttingedge

scientific instruments and more powerful

engineering components. Replacement of

aging or failed parts has been an important

aspectofservicingandhasbeenresponsiblefor

thetelescopeslongevity.

Allof

the

Great

Observatories

have

aparticular

range of light or electromagnetic radiation to

which they are designed and are sensitive.

Hubblesdomain extends from theultraviolet,

through the visible (towhich human eyes are

sensitive),andtothenearinfrared. Intermsof

the wavelength of light, Hubbles coverage

rangesfrom1,200Angstroms in theultraviolet


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18 HST HISTORY MAY 2009

(1 Angstrom = 1 hundredmillionth of a

centimeter) to 2.4microns (24,000Angstroms)

in the nearinfrared. Hubbles UVtonearIR

spectral

range

is

a

key

piece

of

astronomical

realestateadominantrangeofwavelengths

emitted by stars and galaxies and Hubble

takes advantage of this access with both

imagingandspectroscopy.

Compared togroundbased telescopes,Hubble

isnotparticularlylarge. Withaprimarymirror

diameter of 2.4 meters (94.5 inches), Hubble

would at most be considered a mediumsize

telescope on the ground. However, the

combinationof

its

precision

optics,

location

above the atmosphere, stateoftheart

instrumentation, and unprecedented pointing

stability and control, allows Hubble to more

thanmake up for its lack of size. Themost

detailed lookat the farthestknowngalaxies in

the universe has been obtained by imaging

from the Hubble Space Telescope.

Spectroscopically,Hubblehasdetected several

atomic constituents in the atmosphere of a

planetoutside

our

solar

system,

an

enormously

difficultmeasurementandafirstinthiscritical

andgrowingfieldwhoseultimateaimistolook

forplaceselsewhere in theuniversewhere the

conditionsforlifeexist.

On Jan. 16, 2004, NASA Administrator

SeanOKeefeannouncedthecancellationofthe

final scheduled servicing mission to Hubble.

The review board studying the shuttle

Columbiadisasterrecommendedthatallfuture

spaceshuttle

missions

fly

in

orbits

that

allow

themtoreachtheInternationalSpaceStationin

case of an emergency. The orbit a shuttle

wouldneedtofollowtoserviceHubblewould

notallowtheshuttletogettothestation.

However, during a meeting with agency

employees at NASAs Goddard Space Flight

Center onOct. 31, 2006,NASAAdministrator

MichaelGriffinannouncedtherewouldindeed

beafifthandfinalservicingmissiontoHubble.

Inmakingtheannouncement,Griffinsaid,Wehave conducted a detailed analysis of the

performanceandproceduresnecessarytocarry

outasuccessfulHubblerepairmissionoverthe

courseofthe lastthreeshuttlemissions. What

wehave learnedhasconvincedus thatweare

able to conduct a safe and effective servicing

mission toHubble. While there isan inherent

risk in all spaceflight activities, the desire to

preserve a truly international asset like the

HubbleSpace

Telescope

makes

doing

this

missiontherightcourseofaction.

Previous Servicing Missions

The STS125/HSTSM4mission was originally

planned for an Oct. 14, 2008 launch. Space

shuttle Atlantis and her 22,000 pounds of

Hubble cargowere in the finaldaysof launch

preparations,whentheAsideoftheScience

Instrument Command and Data Handling

(SIC&DH)

system

suffered

apermanent

electronic failure on Sept. 27, 2008. The

SIC&DH provides all of the electronics to

command Hubbles science instruments from

thegroundandtoflowscienceandengineering

databacktotheground. Becausethissystemis

such a critical part of Hubbles science

capability,themissionwaspostponed inorder

toallowengineersenough time toprepare the

spareSIC&DH for inclusion into theservicing

mission.Meanwhile,

in

order

to

restore

science

operations to the orbiting telescope, flight

controllersonthegroundsuccessfullyswitched

totheBsideoftheSIC&DHelectronicsand

several additional spacecraft data system

modules.


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Servicing Mission 1, December 1993: The

primary goal of Servicing Mission 1 was to

restore Hubbles vision. Because Hubbles

primary

mirror

was

incorrectly

shaped,

the

telescope could not focus all the light from

an object to a single sharp point. Instead, it

saw a fuzzy halo around objects it observed.

Astronauts on space shuttle Endeavours

STS61 mission spent five days tuning it up.

They installed two new devices the Wide

Field and Planetary Camera 2 and the

Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial

Replacement to compensate for the primary

mirrors incorrect shape. Astronauts also

installed new solar arrays, to reduce thejitter

causedbyexcessive flexingof thesolarpanels

during the telescopes orbital transition from

cold darkness into warm daylight, and new

gyroscopes to help point and track the

telescope,alongwith fuseplugsandelectronic

units.

Servicing Mission 2, February 1997: During

the10daymission (STS82),astronautsaboard

thespace

shuttle

Discovery

installed

two

technologically advanced instruments. The

Near Infrared Camera and MultiObject

Spectrometer (NICMOS) enabled Hubble to

observe infrared wavelengths, crucial for

viewingverydistant optical sources thathave

lostenergy travelingacrossmostof thevisible

universeandnowradiate inthe infraredband.

The second instrument, the Space Telescope

Imaging Spectrograph (STIS), could take

detailed pictures of celestial objects and hunt

for black holes. Both instruments featured

technology that wasnt available when

scientists designed and built the original

Hubble instruments in the late 1970s.

Astronauts also installed a refurbished Fine

Guidance Sensor, one of three essential

instrumentsused tokeepHubblesteadywhile

viewing objects and to calculate celestial

distances;aSolidStateRecordertoreplaceone

ofHubblesdata recorders; and a refurbished,

spare

Reaction

Wheel

Assembly,

part

of

the

PointingControlSubsystem.

ServicingMission3A,December1999: NASA

decidedtosplitthethirdservicingmissioninto

twoparts,SM3A andSM3B, after the thirdof

Hubbles six gyroscopes failed. Hubble

normally needs three gyroscopes to observe a

target. Astronauts aboard space shuttle

Discovery(STS103)replacedallsixgyroscopes,

aswellasoneofHubbles three fineguidance

sensorsthat

are

used

to

keep

Hubble

steady

while viewing objects. The astronauts also

installed a transmitter, an advanced central

computer,adigitaldatarecorder,anelectronics

enhancementkit,batteryimprovementkitsand

newouterlayersofthermalprotection. Shortly

beforethe3Amission,Hubblewasplaced into

safemode after a fourth gyroscope failed

unexpectedly. InsafemodeHubbleisinasort

of protective hibernation and cannot observe

objects.

ServicingMission3B,March2002: Astronauts

aboard space shuttle Columbia (STS109)

installed several new instruments on Hubble

that vastly improved the observatorys

capability. Astronauts performed five

spacewalks. Theirprincipal taskwasto install

theAdvancedCameraforSurveys(ACS).With

itswidefieldofview,sharpimagequalityand

enhanced sensitivity, ACS could collect data

10times

faster

than

the

Wide

Field

and

Planetary Camera 2, the telescopes earlier

surveying instrument. The ACS brought the

then12yearoldtelescopeintothe21stcentury.

TheACSwasquicklyusedtocapturethemost

distantimageoftheuniverse,calledtheHubble

Ultra Deep Field. The 8yearold solar array

panelswere replacedwith smaller rigid ones


24/120


that produce 30 percent more power.

Astronauts also replaced the outdated Power

ControlUnit,whichdistributeselectricityfrom

the

solar

arrays

and

batteries

to

other

parts

of

thetelescope;andtheyreplacedoneofthefour

reaction wheel assemblies that make up

Hubblespointingcontrolsystem. Anotherkey

upgradewas the installationof anew cooling

system for the Near Infrared Camera and

Multi

Object

Spectrometer

(NICMOS),

down

since 1999 after depleting its refrigerant.

Hubblesinfraredvisionwasrestored.

AstronautJamesH.Newman,missionspecialist,movesaboutinthespaceshuttleColumbias

cargobaywhileworkingintandemwithastronautMikeMassimino(outofframe),

missionspecialist,duringtheSTS109missionsseconddayofextravehicularactivity(EVA).


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Best of Hubble Science

As the 12.5ton Earthorbiting observatory

looks into space, unburdenedby atmospheric

distortion,newdetailsaboutplanets,starsandgalaxies come into crystal clear view. The

telescope has produced a vast amount of

informationandasteadystreamofimagesthat

have astounded the worlds astronomical

community and the public as well. It has

helped confirm some astronomical theories,

challenged others and often come up with

complete surprises for which theories do not

yetexist.

Hubbleprovidesfourbasiccapabilities:

Highangularresolutiontheabilitytoimagefinedetail.

Highsensitivitytheabilitytodetectveryfaintobjects.

Ultravioletperformancetheabilitytoproduceultravioletimagesandspectra.

Infraredperformancetheabilitytoproduceinfraredimagesandspectra.

EachyeartheSpaceTelescopeScienceInstitute

(STScI)receivesapproximatelyathousandnew

observingproposals from astronomers around

theworld. Observingcyclesareroutinelyover

subscribedbyafactorofsix.

The telescope is extremely popularbecause it

allowsscientists toget theirclearestviewever

ofthe

cosmos

and

to

obtain

information

on

the

temperature,density, composition andmotion

of celestial objectsby analyzing the radiation

they emit or absorb. On average 14 scientific

papers per week, based on Hubble

observations, are published in scholarly

journals. Results of Hubble observations are

presented regularly at meetings of the

American Astronomical Society and other

majorscientificconferences.

Although Hubbles dramatic findings to date

are too numerous to be described fully, thefollowing paragraphs highlight some of the

significant astronomical discoveries and

observationsinthreebasiccategories:

Galaxiesandcosmology Formationandevolutionofstarsandplanets

EarthsSolarSystem.Forfurtherinformation,visittheSTScIWebsite

athttp://hubblesite.org/newscenter.

Galaxies and Cosmology

Deepest View Ever of the Universe Unveils

EarliestGalaxies

http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releas

es/2004/07

In a tiny patch of sky just onetenth the

diameter of the full moon, the Hubble

SpaceTelescope revealed an estimated

10,000galaxies. Called theHubbleUltraDeep

Field (HUDF), the millionsecondlong

exposure reveals the first galaxies to emerge

fromthesocalleddarkages,thetimeshortly

afterthebigbangwhenthefirststarsreheated

the relatively cool and opaque hydrogen and

heliumgasproducedinthebigbang,makingit

transparent to light. The image offers new

insightsinto

what

types

of

objects

reheated

the

universe long ago leading ultimately to the

universeasseentoday.


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Thesharpest

image

ever

taken

of

the

large

grand

design

spiral

galaxy

M81

released

at

the

AmericanAstronomicalSocietyMeetinginHonolulu,Hawaii. Thisbeautifulgalaxyistiltedat

anobliqueangleontoourlineofsight,givingabirdseyeviewofthespiralstructure.

Thehistoricview isactually two separate sets

ofimagestakenbyHubblesAdvancedCamera

for Surveys (ACS) and the Near Infrared

Camera and Multiobject Spectrometer

(NICMOS) and stacked together to form a

single

extremely

deep

time

exposure.

The

resulting composite image, theHUDF, reveals

galaxiesthataretoofainttobeseenbyground

based telescopes,oreven inHubblesprevious

faraway looks, called theHubbleDeep Fields

(HDFs), taken in 1995 and 1998. In ground

based images, the patch of sky in which the

galaxiesresideislargelyempty. Locatedinthe

constellation Fornax, the region is below the

constellationOrion.

ThecombinationofACSandNICMOS images

hasbeenusedtosearchfordevelopinggalaxies

thatwere formedwithin the firstbillionyears

afterthe

big

bang,

which

occurred

13.7

billion

yearsago. Todate,morethan500objectshave

been detected in the HUDF that emitted the

light we see withHubble when the universe

waslessthanonebillionyearsold(ataredshift

of6orgreater.). At leastonegalaxyhasbeen

detected at a redshift of 7.4. Light from this


27/120


object started its journey toward us some

700millionyearsafter thebigbang,when the

universewasfivepercentofitscurrentage. A

key

question

for

HUDF

astronomers

is

in

what

respectstheuniverseappeareddifferentatthis

very early time,when star formationhadjust

begun, than it did when the cosmos was

betweenoneandtwobillionyearsold,atwhich

time the rateof star formation in theuniverse

haddroppedtoaverylowvalue.

HUDF observationsbegan Sept. 24, 2003, and

continued through Jan. 16, 2004. The ACS,

which is the size of a phonebooth, captured

ancientphotons

of

light

that

began

traversing

theuniverseevenbeforeEarthexisted. Photons

oflightfromtheveryfaintestobjectsarrivedat

a trickle of onephoton perminute, compared

with millions of photons per minute from

nearergalaxies.

Evolution of Stars and Planets

LightEchofromEruptingStar


es/star/2004/10/

In January 2002, a dull star in an obscure

constellation suddenly became 600,000 times

more luminous than our sun, temporarily

makingitoneofthebrighteststarsinourMilky

Waygalaxy.

Themysterious starhas long since fadedback

to obscurity, but Hubble observations of a

phenomenon called a light echo have

uncoveredremarkable

new

features.

These

detailshaveprovidedastronomersaCATscan

likeprobeofthethreedimensionalstructureof

shellsofdustsurroundinganagingstar.

Astronomers used the Hubble images to

determine that the illtempered star, called

V838 Monocerotis (V838 Mon), is about

20,000lightyearsfromEarth. Thestarputsout

enough energy in a brief flash to illuminate

surroundingdust. Thestarpresumablyejected

the

illuminated

dust

shells

in

previous

outbursts. Lightfromthelatestoutbursttravels

to the dust and then is reflected to Earth.

Becauseofthisindirectpath,thelightarrivesat

Earthmonthsafterlightcomingdirectlytoward

Earthfromthestaritself.

The outburst of V838 Mon was somewhat

similartothatofanova,amorecommonstellar

outburst. A typicalnova isanormal star that

dumpshydrogenonto a compactwhitedwarf

companionstar.

The

hydrogen

piles

up

until

it

spontaneouslyexplodesbynuclearfusionlike

a titanic hydrogen bomb. This exposes a

searingstellarcore,whichhasatemperatureof

hundredsofthousandsofdegreesFahrenheit.

Bycontrast,however,V838Monevidentlydid

not expel its outer layers. Instead, it grew

enormously in size, with its surface

temperature dropping to temperatures not

much hotter than a light bulb and its color

becoming extremely red. This behavior of

ballooningtoanimmensesizebutnotlosingits

outer layers is very unusual and completely

unlikeanordinarynovaexplosion.

V838 Mon is so unique it may represent a

transitory stage in a stars evolution that is

rarely seen. The star has some similarities to

highly unstable aging stars called eruptive

variables, which suddenly and unpredictably

increasein

brightness.

The circular lightecho feature now has

expandedtotwicetheangularsizeofJupiteron

the sky. Astronomers expect that it will

continue expanding as reflected light from

fartherout in thedustenvelope finallyarrives

atEarth.


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Earths Solar System

HubbleLooksforPossibleMoonResources


es/2005/29

WhenAmericansreturntothemoon,theywill

havetheHubbleSpaceTelescopetothankfora

new class of scientific observations of Earths

nearestcelestialneighbor.

Hubbles resolution and sensitivity to

ultraviolet light have allowed it to search for

important oxygenbearing minerals on the

moon. Since the moon does not have a

breathable atmosphere, minerals such as

ilmenite (titanium and iron oxide) may be

critical for a sustained human lunar presence.

Ilmenite is a potential source of oxygen for

breathingorpoweringrockets.

The new Hubble observations are the first

highresolution, ultraviolet images ever

acquired of the moon. The images provide

scientists with a new tool to study mineral

variationswithin

the

lunar

crust.

Such

data,

in

combination with other measurements, will

helpensurethemostvaluablesitesaretargeted

forfutureroboticandhumanmissions.

In 2005, Hubbles Advanced Camera for

Surveys captured ultraviolet and visible light

imagesofknowngeologicallydiverseareason

the side of the moon nearest Earth. These

included theAristarchus impactcraterand the

adjacent Schroters Valley, which neither

humansnor

robotic

spacecraft

have

visited.

Hubble also photographed theApollo 15 and

17 landing sites, where astronauts collected

rockandsoilsamplesin1971and1972.

Scientists are comparing the properties of the

rock and soil samples from the Apollo sites

with thenewHubble images. The telescopes

observations of Aristarchus crater and

Schroters Valley will help refine researchers

understanding of the diverse, scientifically

interesting

materials

in

the

region

and

unravel

theirfullresourcepotential.

Summary

AstronautsSteven

L.

Smith,

and

JohnGrunsfeldappearassmallfiguresinthis

widescenephotographedduring

extravehicularactivityduringSTS103in1999.

The Hubble Space Telescope has established

itself as a premier astronomical observatory

that continues tomake dramatic observations

anddiscoveries at the forefront of astronomy.

Amongalonglistofachievements:

Hubblesabilitytodetectfaintsupernovaecontributedtothediscoverythatthe

expansionrateoftheuniverseis

accelerating,indicatingtheexistenceof

mysteriousdarkenergyinspace.

ObservationsofCepheidvariablestarsinnearbygalaxieswereusedtoestablishthe


29/120


currentexpansionrateoftheuniverseto

betterthan10percentaccuracy.

TheHubbleUltraDeepFieldprovidedourdeepestviewyetintotheuniversesdistantpast,allowingustoreconstructhow

galaxiesevolveandgrowbyswallowing

othergalaxies.

Hubbleprovidedthefirstdirectmeasurementsofthethreedimensional

distributionofDarkMatterinspace.

PeeringintonearbyregionsofstarbirthintheMilkyWaygalaxy,Hubblehasrevealed

flatteneddisksofgasanddustthatarethe

likelybirthplacesofnewplanets.

Whensunlikestarsendtheirlives,theyejectspectacularnebulae.Hubblehas

revealedfantasticandenigmaticdetailsof

thisprocess

HubblemadedetailedmeasurementsofaJupitersizedplanetorbitinganearbystar,

includingthefirstdetectionofthe

atmosphereofanextrasolarplanet.

TheexplosivecollisionofcometShomakerLevy/9withJupitergave

Earthlingsacautionarytaleofthedanger

posed

by

cometary

impacts.

Hubbleobservationshaveshownthatmonsterblackholes,withmassesmillions

tobillionstimesthemassofoursun,inhabit

thecentersofmostgalaxies

Hubbleplayedakeyroleindeterminingthedistancesandenergiesofgammaray

bursts,showingthattheyarethemost

powerfulexplosionsintheuniverseother

thanthe

big

bang

itself.

After Servicing Mission 4, the telescope will

view theuniversewith significantly expanded

scientificcapabilities from thenewWideField

Camera 3 and the new Cosmic Origins

Spectrograph, as well as the reactivated

Advanced Camera for Surveys and Space

Telescope Imaging Spectrograph. These

additions and the upgrades to Hubbles

operating hardware hold the promise of

momentousdiscoveries

in

the

years

ahead.


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31/120

MAY 2009 FLIGHT CONTROL 27

FLIGHT CONTROL

KEY CONSOLE POSITIONS FOR STS-125

Flt.Director CAPCOM PAOAscent NormKnight Greg(Box)Johnson

TBD(Wx)

KyleHerring

Orbit1(Lead) TonyCeccacci DanBurbank KyleHerring(Lead)

Orbit2 RickLaBrode AlanPoindexter PatRyanPlanning PaulDye JaniceVoss JoshByerlyEntry NormKnight Greg(Box)Johnson

TBD(Wx)

KyleHerring

ShuttleTeam4 BryanLunney N/A N/A

JSCPAORepresentativeatKSCforLaunchKylieClemKSCLaunchCommentatorGeorgeDillerKSCLaunchDirectorMikeLeinbachNASALaunchTestDirectorCharlieBlackwellThompson


32/120

28 FLIGHT CONTROL MAY 2009

KEY CONSOLE POSITIONS FOR STS-400

Flt.Director CAPCOM PAOAscent NormKnight Greg(Box)Johnson

TBD(Wx)

KyleHerring

Orbit1(Lead) PaulDye SteveRobinson KyleHerring(Lead)

Orbit2 MikeSarafin Greg(Box)Johnson PatRyanPlanning RichardJones JaniceVoss JoshByerly

Entry

Norm

Knight

Greg

(Box)

Johnson

TBD(Wx) Kyle

Herring

ShuttleTeam4 BryanLunney N/A N/A

JSCPAORepresentativeatKSCforLaunchTBDKSCLaunchCommentatorGeorgeDillerKSCLaunchDirectorMikeLeinbachNASALaunchTestDirectorJeffSpaulding


33/120

MAY 2009 CREW 29

STS-125 ATLANTIS CREW

This

STS

125/SM4

crew

patch

shows

the

Hubble Space Telescope along with a

representationofitsmanyscientificdiscoveries.

The overall structure and composition of the

universe is shown in blue and filled with

planets,starsandgalaxies.

The black background is indicative of the

mysteriesofdarkenergyanddarkmatter. The

new instruments to be installed on Hubble

during thismission,WideFieldCamera3and

the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, will makeobservations to help understand these unseen

components that seem to dominate the

structureoftheuniverse.

The

red

border

of

the

patch

represents

the

red

shiftedglowoftheearlyuniverseandthelimit

of theHubbles view into the cosmos. Upon

completionofSTS125/SM4,thefifthmissionto

serviceHubble,thetelescopewillprovideeven

deeper and more detailed views of the

universe.

Soaringby the telescope is the space shuttle,

which initially deployed Hubble and has

enabled astronauts to continuallyupgrade the

telescope, significantly contributing to theexpansionofhumanknowledge.


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30 CREW MAY 2009

ThesesevenastronautstakeabreakfromtrainingtoposefortheSTS125/SM4crewportrait.

FromtheleftareastronautsMikeMassimino,MichaelGood,bothmissionspecialists;

GregoryC.Johnson,pilot;ScottAltman,commander;MeganMcArthur,

JohnGrunsfeldandAndrewFeustel,allmissionspecialists.

Shortbiographical sketchesof the crew follow

withdetailedbackgroundavailableat:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/


35/120

MAY 2009 CREW 31

STS-125 CREW BIOGRAPHIES

ScottAltman

RetiredNavyCapt.ScottAltmanwill lead the

crewof

STS

125/SM4

on

the

fifth

and

final

shuttlemissionplanned to service theHubble

SpaceTelescope. Altmanservedasthepiloton

STS90in1998andSTS106in2000. Hewasthe

commander of STS109 in 2002, the fourth

Hubble servicing mission. He has overall

responsibility for the safety and execution of

this mission, orbiter systems operations and

flightoperations,

including

landing.

He

will

fly

Atlantisthroughitsrendezvousandcaptureof

the space telescope and will fly the shuttle

during Hubbles release. Altman will be

involved in the robotic inspection ofAtlantis

heatshield.


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32 CREW MAY 2009

GregoryC.Johnson

AstronautGregoryC.Johnson,acaptaininthe

Navy reserve component,hasmore than9,000

flight hours in 50 aircraft, including over 500

carrierlandings. Hewillmakehisfirstjourney

intospaceasthepilotofAtlantisSTS125/SM4

mission. Selected by NASA in 1998, he has

worked technical aspects of shuttle launches,

landingsandintegrationfortheastronautoffice

and Space Shuttle Program. He will be

responsible fororbiter systemsoperations and

will assist Altman in the rendezvous with

Hubble. Other responsibilities include

orchestrating the photographic and video

documentationofthemission.


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MAY 2009 CREW 33

MichaelGood

AirForceCol.MichaelGoodwillbemakinghisfirstspaceflightasmissionspecialist1. Selected

asanastronautin2000,Goodhasworkedinthe

astronaut office advanced vehicles and space

shuttlebranches. To serviceHubble, he will

conductthesecondandfourthspacewalkswith

MikeMassiminoandserveasacoordinatorof

theother three. Goodalsowillbe involved inthe robotic inspection of Atlantis heat shield

and assist with range and rate information

duringrendezvousanddeploymentofHubble.

Hewillbeseatedon the flightdeck for launch

andonthemiddeckforlanding.


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34 CREW MAY 2009

MeganMcArthur

AstronautMeganMcArthurwillbemakingher

firstspaceflightasmissionspecialist2. Shehas

adoctorate in oceanography from the Scripps

Institution of Oceanography, University of

CaliforniaSan Diego. Selected in 2000,

McArthur hasworked in the astronaut office

spaceshuttlebranch,servedasacrewsupport

astronaut for Expedition 9 and worked as a

spacecraft communicator in Mission Control.

She will be responsible for the robotic arm

operations during the capture and release of

Hubble, aswellasduring the spacewalksand

Atlantisheat shield inspections. Shealsowill

serve as the flight engineer, assisting Altman

andJohnson on the flight deck during ascent

andlanding.


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MAY 2009 CREW 35

JohnGrunsfeld

AstronautJohnGrunsfeldwillbemaking his

third trip toHubble and his fifth spaceflight,

serving as mission specialist 3. He has a

doctorate in physics from the University ofChicago and has conducted research in Xray

andgammarayastronomy,highenergycosmic

ray studiesanddevelopmentofnewdetectors

and instrumentation. He performed five

spacewalks toservice the telescopeonSTS103

in1999andSTS109 in2002. Healso flewon

STS67in1995andSTS81in1997. Grunsfeldis

the payload commander on STS125/SM4,

responsibleforthetelescopessystems. Hewill

lead the team of spacewalkers on the fiveexcursions to service Hubble, conducting the

first, third and fifth spacewalkswithAndrew

Feustel. Theywillserveascoordinatorsforthe

othertwospacewalks. Grunsfeldwillbeonthe

middeckforlaunchandlanding.


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36 CREW MAY 2009

MikeMassimino

AstronautMikeMassiminowillbemakinghis

secondspaceflightandtriptotheHubbleSpace

Telescope, serving asmission specialist 4. He

hasadoctorateinmechanicalengineeringfromMassachusetts Institute of Technology. He

performed two spacewalks to service the

telescope during the STS109mission in 2002.

He is the leadofoneof the two spacewalking

teamsonSTS125/SM4, conducting the second

and fourth spacewalkswithGood. Theywill

serve as coordinators of the other three

spacewalks.Massiminoalsowillbeinvolvedin

the robotic inspection of Atlantis heat shieldand have backup robotic arm operation

responsibilities for Hubbles capture and

release. Hewillbe seatedon themiddeck for

launchandtheflightdeckforlanding.


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MAY 2009 CREW 37

AndrewFeustel

AstronautAndrewFeustelwillbemakinghis

first

trip

into

space,

serving

as

mission

special

ist5. Hehasadoctorateingeologicalsciences

from Queens University. Selected as an

astronaut in2000,hehasworked in theastro

naut office space shuttle and space station

branches. On STS125/SM4, Feustel will per

form the first, third and fifth spacewalkswith

Grunsfeld. Theywillserveascoordinatorsfor

the

other

two

spacewalks.

Feustel

also

will

assistwith range and rate informationduring

rendezvousanddeploymentofHubbleandbe

responsible for Atlantis onboard computing

network throughout the flight. Feustelwillbe

onthemiddeckforlaunchandlanding.


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38 CREW MAY 2009

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MAY 2009 PAYLOAD OVERVIEW 39

PAYLOAD OVERVIEW

HUBBLE SERVICING MISSIONPAYLOAD BAY HARDWARE

Therewillbe four support structures flying in

Atlantiss cargo bay that will carry the

scienceinstruments, flight hardware, support

equipment and tools to be used during the

mission.

FlightSupportSystem(FSS) SuperLightweightInterchangeableCarrier(SLIC)

MultiUseLightweightEquipment(MULE)Carrier

OrbitalReplacementUnitCarrier(ORUC)FLIGHT SUPPORT SYSTEM (FSS)

The Flight Support System (FSS) is a reusable

equipmentsystem

that

provides

the

structural,

mechanical,andelectrical interfacesbetweena

spacecraftand theorbiter for launch,retrieval,

and inorbit servicingmissions. Italso served

asthemaintenanceplatformholdingHubblein

place while providing a means for rotation

about two axes for correct positioning during

deploymentandinorbitservicing.

The FSS configuration for spacecraft

deployment or retrieval consists of three

structural cradles, mechanisms for spacecraftretention and positioning, and avionics. The

cradles provide the structural support for the

payload and storage locations for tools and

electronics. Themechanisms forretentionand

positioningallowthespacecrafttobedockedto

the FSS, serviced, and released. The FSS

provides the electrical interface between the

orbiterandtheHubble,andbetweentheorbiter

and the servicing mission payload elements.

The avionics provide all necessary power,

command, control, and data monitoring

interfaces to supportoperationalmodesof the

spacecraft. The avionics also provide for

remotecontrolofallFSSmechanismsfromthe

orbiter aft flight deck. The configuration for

inorbit servicing typically consists of one

cradle with Berthing and Positioning System,

mechanisms,andavionics.

The FSS has a specific configuration for

servicing the Hubble Space Telescope. The

Hubble servicing configuration consists of a

single cradle, avionics, mechanisms, and the

BerthingandPositioningSystem(BAPS). Once

HubbleisberthedtotheFSS,theBAPSisused

toorient theHubble for servicingand to react

to loads induced by reboosting Hubble to a

higher orbit. The avionics and mechanisms

used forHubble servicing are a subset of the

full complement available, with additional

powercapability.

SOFT CAPTURE AND RENDEZVOUS

SYSTEM (SCRS)

Preparing for the Future

When theHubbleSpaceTelescope reaches the

end of its life, NASA will need to deorbit

itsafely using a nextgeneration space

transportationvehicle.

Originally planned for Earth return on the

shuttle,Hubblesscientificlifewillnowextend

beyond the planned retirement date of the

shuttlein2010. AspartofServicingMission4,

engineershavedevelopedtheSoftCaptureand.


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40 PAYLOAD OVERVIEW MAY 2009

Rendezvous System, or SCRS, which will

enablethefuturerendezvous,capture,andsafe

disposal of Hubble by either a crewed or

roboticmission.

The

SCRS

greatly

increases

the

current shuttle capture envelop interfaces on

Hubble, therefore significantly reducing the

rendezvous and capture design complexities

associatedwiththedisposalmission.

The SCRS is comprised of the Soft Capture

Mechanism (SCM) system and the Relative

NavigationSystem(RNS).

The Soft Capture Mechanism

TheSoftCaptureMechanism(SCM)willlaunch

on a turntable likepiece of equipment called

the Flight Support System (FSS) within the

cargobayoftheshuttle. TheFSSservesasthe

berthingplatform forHubbleandprovidesall

electricaland

mechanical

interfaces

between

the

shuttle and the telescope while Hubble is

docked.

The SCMuses aLow ImpactDocking System

(LIDS) interface and associated relative

navigation targets for future rendezvous,

capture,anddockingoperations. Thesystems

LIDS interface is designed to be compatible

with the rendezvous and docking systems to

beused on the nextgeneration space

transportationvehicle

TheSoftCaptureMechanismisreadiedforSTS125atGoddardSpaceFlightCenter.


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During themission, astronautswill attach the

SCM toHubble. About72 inches indiameter

and2feethigh,theSCMwillsitonthebottom

ofHubble,

inside

the

FSS

berthing

and

positioning ring,without affecting the normal

FSStoHubble interfaces. It will be attached

onto the telescope by three sets of jaws that

clamp onto the existing berthing pins on

Hubblesaftbulkhead.

The astronauts will drive a gearbox, and the

jaws will release the SCM from the FSS and

clamp ontoHubblesberthingpins. It canbe

transferred toHubble at any time during the

mission.

The Relative Navigation System

The Relative Navigation System (RNS) is an

imaging system consisting of optical and

navigationsensorsandsupportingavionics. It

willcollectdataonHubbleduringcaptureand

deployment.

The RNS system will acquire valuable

informationabout

Hubble

by

way

of

images

andvideoofthetelescopesaftbulkheadasthe

shuttlereleasesitbackintospace.

This informationwill enableNASA topursue

numerous options for the safe deorbit of

Hubble.

TheRNS systemwillbe carried on theMulti

Use Lightweight Equipment (MULE) carrier

aboardtheshuttle.

SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT

INTERCHANGEABLE CARRIER (SLIC)

A New Kind of Equipment Carrier

EachtimeastronautsupgradetheHubbleSpace

Telescope, the new equipment rides to orbit

on specialized pallets called carriers. The

composite Super Lightweight Interchangeable

Carrier (SLIC) is a new breed of equipment

carrier that will allow the space shuttle to

transportafull

complement

of

scientific

instrumentsandothercomponentstoHubble.

Carriers transport Hubbles new cargo in the

space shuttles payload bay, protecting the

cargo from the stressof launchand the trip to

orbit. They also serve as temporary parking

placesforhardwareduringspacewalks.

Once the mission is complete and the new

hardwarehasbeeninstalledonHubble,carriers

providestorage

space

and

protection

for

the

old

equipmentsjourneybacktoEarth.

These large carriers,which span thewidth of

the shuttles payload bay, add thousands of

pounds to theweightof theshuttle. Since the

fully loaded shuttle cannot exceed a specified

maximumweight limit,everypound trimmed

from a carrier is onemorepound that canbe

used for additional payload, e.g., science

instrumentsorfuelformaneuveringorreboost.

Trimming Pounds, Gaining Strength

AnticipatingthatServicingMission4willneed

to carry a full load of instruments and

equipment to orbit, in addition to equipment

that will be needed to inspect the shuttles

thermal protection system (TPS), the Hubble

SpaceTelescopeteambuiltSLICusingstateof

theart, lightweight compositematerials and a

more structurally efficient design. Engineers

dramatically increased performance and loadcarryingcapabilitywhilesignificantlyreducing

weight. Comparedtoaluminumandtitanium,

which aremetals typically used in spacecraft

and launch vehicle design, the composites

used to build SLIC have greater strengthto

mass ratios. SLIC features other attractive

performance characteristics such as fatigue


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resistance,whichmeansitislesssusceptibleto

wearandtear.

Madeofcarbonfiberwithacyanateesterresin

andatitaniummetalmatrixcomposite,SLICis

the first allcomposite carrier to fly on the

shuttle. This flat, reusable pallet looks very

different from the carriers flown on previous

Hubble servicing missions because of its

efficient design. This design plus SLICs

composite constructionmakes itmuch lighter

and stronger than traditional aluminum

carriers. About half the weight of its

predecessors, SLIC shows a dramatic increase

in performance over otherHubble equipmentcarriers, with nearly double the carrying

capability.

Weighing in at just 1,750 pounds, SLIC will

carryHubbles newest camera, the 980pound

WideFieldCamera3,whichwillridetoorbitin

a 650pound protective enclosure. SLIC also

will carry two new batteries, each weighing

460pounds.

Benchmark for Technology

As thepathfinder for theuseofcomposites in

human spaceflight, SLIC has established the

benchmark for technology required for future

spacemissions, includinganalysis, testingand

verification.

Following in the footsteps of SLICs

development, future human and robotic

explorationmissionswillbenefit from theuse

ofcompositematerials. EngineersforprogramssuchastheOrionCrewExplorationVehicleare

currently in discussions with Goddard

engineers to learn how they succeeded with

SLICsothey,too,canconstructstronger,more

efficientcompositesindecadestocome.

SLIC Capabilities and Characteristics

Structureweight: 1,750pounds Loadcapability: 5,500pounds HubbleServicingMissionpayloadweight:3,700pounds

Performance(LoadCapability/Weight): 3.14 Size: 180 x104 Structurallyinterchangeable:Wingscanbeaddedtoincreasedecksize

Honeycombsurfacecanaccommodatevariouspayloadsusingpostbondedinserts

CompatiblewithallHubblecarrieravionicsORBITAL REPLACEMENT UNIT CARRIER

TheORUCiscenteredinAtlantispayloadbay.

ItprovidessafetransportofORUstoandfrom

orbit.

The

Cosmic

Origins

Spectrograph

(COS)

is

storedintheAxialScientificInstrument

ProtectiveEnclosure(ASIPE).

TheFineGuidanceSensor(FGS)isstoredintheRadialScientificInstrumentProtective

Enclosure(FSIPE).

ThreeRateSensorUnits(RSU)arestoredonthestarboardsideSmallORUProtective

Enclosure(SOPE).

TheORUChousesotherhardware,includingtheFineGuidanceSensor(FGS)

andWF/PCHandholdstoredontheport

sideForwardFixture,anAftFixture,

ScientificInstrumentSafetyBar,MLIRepair

Tool,twoSTSPFRsandanExtender,two

TranslationAids(TA)andSTISMEB


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replacementcover. Italsocarriestwo

AuxiliaryTransportModules(ATM),a

LargeORUProtectiveEnclosure(LOPE),a

NewORU

Protective

Enclosure

(NOPE)

andFastenerCapturePlate(FCP)enclosure

tohousemiscellaneousCATsfortheSTIS

andACSrepairwork.

The protective enclosure, its heaters and

thermal insulation control the temperature of

thenewORUs,providinganenvironmentwith

normaloperatingtemperatures. Strutsbetween

the ASIPE enclosure and the pallet protect

science instruments from loads generated at

liftoffandduringEarthreturn.

Alsoon theORUCwillbean IMAX3DCargo

BayCamera.

IMAX Hubble 3D Movie

Hubble3D(workingtitle),fromtheSpaceStation

3Dfilmmakingteam,tellsthestoryofthemost

important, scientific instrument since Galileo,

and the greatest success in space sincethe

MoonLanding:

the

Hubble

Space

Telescope.

Hubble has revealed our universe to us as

neverbefore. WithHubblesamazingtreasure

trove of imagerybrought to life in IMAX 3D,

audiencesofallageswillbeabletoexplorethe

grandeurofgalaxies,nebulae,birthanddeath

ofstars,andthecuriositiesandmysteriesofour

celestialsurroundingsasneverbefore. Withits

dramatic story of endeavor, near catastrophic

failure, and ultimate rescue, Hubble 3D will

provide a unique legacy for generations tocome,allinamazingIMAX3D.

Hubble 3Dmarks the fifth time the IMAX 3D

Cargo Bay Camera has flown aboard the

spaceshuttle. The IMAX teamhas trained the

missions commander and pilot on the

operation of the camera,which ismounted in

theoptimumpositionintheshuttlescargobay

to capture stunning IMAX 3D images of

the historic final servicing mission. The

commanderand

pilot

will

double

as

filmmakers as two teams of spacewalking

astronauts, working in tandem with the

shuttlesrobotarm,perform themostcomplex

andchallengingworkeverundertakeninspace

as they replace and refurbish many of the

telescopesdelicateprecisioninstruments.

The Hubble 3D movie will be in IMAX and

IMAX 3D theaters worldwide beginning

spring2010.

MULTI-USE LIGHTWEIGHT EQUIPMENT

CARRIER

TheMULE is located inAtlantis aft payload

bay. It has provisions for safe transport of

ORUstoorbit:

TheContingencyORUProtectiveEnclosure(COPE)containsthespareORUsandtools.

TheMULEIntegratedNOBLContainer(MINC)containsthenewNOBLprotectivecoveringstobeinstalledontheTelescope

SupportSystemsModuleEquipment

Section(SSMES)baydoors.

TheMULEalsocarriesotherhardwareincludingeightAftShroudLatchRepair

KitsandLowGainAntennaProtective

Covers(LGAPC).

ThereplacementSIC&DHwillridetoorbitontheMULE. Theunitisacollectionof

14components,arrangedinsixstacksthat

aremountedonatraytocreateasingle

OrbitalReplacementUnit(ORU).


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THE THREE RS OF STS-125

All of the payloads, tools and work on the

telescope

that

will

take

place

during

STS

125

canbethoughtofasfalling intoanewversion

of theThreeRs rule. But instead ofReading,

(w)Riting and (a)Rithmithic., the STS125

versioninvolves:

RefurbishHardwareandactivitiesthatwillextendHubblesoperatinglifeby

installingnewBatteryModuleUnits

(BMUs),newRateSensorUnits(RSUs),

NewOuterBlanketLayer(NOBL)material

andan

upgraded

Fine

Guidance

Sensor(FGS).

RestoreTheastronautswillmakerepairstotwoscienceinstrumentsthathave

stoppedworkingAdvancedCamerafor

Surveys(ACS)andtheSpaceTelescope

ImagingSpectrograph(STIS).

RenewTwobrandnewscienceinstrumentsWideFieldCamera3

(WFC3)

and

the

Cosmic

Origins

Spectrograph(COS)willbeinstalled.

REFURBISH ACTIVITIES

RATE SENSOR UNITS (RSUS)

During Servicing Mission 4, astronauts will

replace all six ofHubbles gyroscopes,which

areneededtopointthespacecraft. Gyroscopes,

orgyros,measureratesofmotionwhenHubble

ischanging

its

pointing

from

one

target

(a

star

or planet, for example) to another, and they

help control the telescopes pointing while

scientistsareobservingtargets.

Each gyro is packaged in a Rate Sensor

assembly. The assembliesarepacked inpairs

insideboxescalledRateSensorUnits(RSUs). It

is the RSU that astronauts changewhen they

replacegyros,sogyrosarealwaysreplacedtwo

atatime.

Previously, Hubble needed three of thesix gyros to conduct science, and the other

three functioned as spares. However, after

substantial changes to Hubbles pointing

control algorithms, only two gyros are now

needed.

How Gyros Work

Gyros are used to maintain orientation and

provide stability in boats, aircraft and

spacecraft. Theyworkbyascientificprinciple

called the gyroscopic effect. You candemonstrate this effect by holding a bicycle

wheelby its axle and asking someone to spin

thewheel. Ifyou try tomove the axle of the

spinningwheel,youwill feela forceopposing

yourattempttomoveit. Thisforceissimilarto

the one produced in the gyros when Hubble

moves.

Thegyroscopic

function

is

achieved

by

awheel

insideeachgyrothatspinsataconstantrateof

19,200 rpm on gas bearings. This wheel is

mountedinasealedcylinder,whichfloatsina

thickfluid. Electricityiscarriedtothemotorby

thinwires (approximately thesizeofahuman

hair)thatareimmersedinthefluid. Electronics

withinthegyrodetectverysmallmovementsof

the axis of the wheel and communicate this

informationtoHubblescentralcomputer.


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TheSTS125crewreceivesanoverviewongyrosandtheirroleonthe

HubbleSpaceTelescope.

The Best Gyros in the World

Several different types of gyros are available,

such as the mechanical gyro that uses ball

bearings insteadofgas. Othergyrosuse light

orthefrequencyofaresonatinghemisphereto

detectmovement. Whileallthesemethodscan

provide information on themovement of the

telescope, only gasbearing gyros offer

extremely low noise with very high stability

andresolution. Gasbearinggyrosarethemost

accurate

in

the

world,

and

Hubble

uses

the

best

gasbearinggyrosavailable.

Hubbles gyros are extraordinarily stable and

can detect extremely smallmovements of the

telescope. Whenusedwithotherfinepointing

devices, theykeep the telescopepointingvery

precisely for long periods of time, enabling

Hubble to produce spectacular images of

galaxies,planetsand starsand toprobe to the

farthestreachesoftheuniverse.

The Status of Hubbles Gyros

Gyros have limited lifetimes and need to be

replaced periodically. Currently, three of the

sixgyrosareworking.

In 2005 Hubble began operating in twogyro

mode. Withtwouseablesparegyros,Hubbles

operating life can be extended and thus

Hubbles science observations can continueuninterrupteduntiltheservicingmission.

History of Gyro Replacement

Four new gyros were installed on Hubble in

1993 and all six gyroswere replaced in 1999.

During the servicing mission in 2009,


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astronautswill replaceallsixgyros,whichare

nearingtheendoftheirprojectedusefullife.

BATTERY MODULE UNITS (BMUS)

Powering Hubble

When astronauts return to the Hubble Space

Telescope during the servicing mission, they

willreplaceallsixofthetelescopes125pound

nickel hydrogen batteries. These batteries

provide all the electrical power to support

Hubbleoperationsduring thenightportionof

itsorbit.

The telescopes orbit is approximately

96minuteslong,about60minutesofwhichare

in sunlight and 36minutes are in the Earths

shadow (night). DuringHubbles sunlight or

daytimeperiod,thesolararraysprovidepower

totheonboardelectricalequipment. Theyalso

charge the spacecrafts batteries, so that the

batteries can power the spacecraft during

Hubblesnight.

Allsix

batteries

are

normally

used

at

the

same

time. Like the ones they replace, the sixnew

batteries reside in two modules, each

containingthreebatteries. Eachmoduleweighs

460 pounds and measures 36 inches long,

32incheswide,and11incheshigh. Astronauts

will remove the old battery modules from

equipment bays No. 2 and No. 3, and will

installthenewmodulesinthesamelocations.

Each of the sixbatteriesbegins its life on the

ground with approximately 88 amphrs ofcapacity. Eachbattery contains 22 individual

cells wired together in series. Due to

limitationsofHubblesthermalcontrolsystem,

thebatteriescanonlybechargedto75amphrs

when installed on Hubble. The six new

batteries will begin their life in orbit by

delivering a total of over 450 amphrs of

capacitytoHubble.

Durable and Reliable

Now19years into itsmission,Hubblesnickel

hydrogen batteries have lasted more than

13years longer than theirdesign orbital life

longer than those in any other spacecraft

located in lowEarth orbit. Thiswaspossible

partlybecause thebatterieswerebuilt tovery

exacting standards using an extremely robust

design. Nickel hydrogenbattery chemistry is

very stable and is known to exceed inorbit

performancerequirements

for

long

duration

missions.

Another reason for thebatteries longevity is

thattheyareverycarefullymanagedonadaily

basisby Electrical Power System engineers at

Goddard Space Flight Center, which has

resulted in improved longterm inorbit

performance. This is done by closely

monitoring the amount of current that flows

intothebatteriesand their temperatureduring

eachchargingcycle. Duetoagingandcycling,the batteries are showing a slow loss in

capacity, anormal and expected trend. Ifnot

replaced, they will eventually be unable to

supportHubblessciencemission.

The replacementbatteries are superior to the

oldonesinseveralways. Thenewbatteriesare

made using a wet slurry process, inwhich

powdered metallic materials mixed in a wet

binderagentarepouredintoamoldandheated

untiltheliquidboilsoff,leavingaporoussolid.

This process produces batteries which are

physicallystrongerandbetterperformingthan

the dry sinter batteries they are replacing.

Metallicmaterials aremixed dry and pressed

into amold under high pressure in the dry

sinter manufacturing process. Each new


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prechosen guide stars, feeding the position

signals to the main Hubble computer where

smallbut inevitable drifts in the gyro signals

canbe

corrected.

The

end

result

is

arock

steadytelescopewhichcantakefulladvantage

of its optics and instrumentation to perform

worldclass science on the full gamut of

astronomical targets. Typically, twoFGSs are

used,eachonelockedontooneguidestar.

FindGuidanceSensor(FGS)

There is more to the FGS story than just

pointingcontrol. ThethirdFGScanbeusedas

a scientific instrument for astrometry the

precise measurement of stellar positions and

motions. TheFGSchosentobetheastrometer

FGS is the one which has the best

performance. Currently, that role is filledby

FGS1,and

itwill

not

be

changed

out

during

the

servicingmission. ThenewFGSwill take the

placeofFGS2andthelikelihoodisthatthenew

FGSwillbecomethenewastrometer.

Pointing Control How Good?

ThepointingrequirementforHubbleisthatthe

stability of the telescope the socalled

jitterbe no worse than 0.007 arcsecond

(arcsec for short) for 95 percent of the time.

Whatis

an

arcsec?

One

arcsecond

is

the

angle created by the diameter of a dime

(3/4 inch) at a distance of approximately

2.5miles(4km). Forexample,thediameterof

the moon as seen from Earth is roughly

1800 arcseconds. After the FGSs lock onto

guide stars, they can measure any apparent

motion to an accuracy of 0.0028 arcsec.

CombinationoftheFGSandgyrosignalsinthe

pointing control software gives Hubble the

ability to remain pointed at targets with no

more than 0.007 arcsec ofdeviation over long

periods of time. This level of stability and

precisioniscomparable tobeingabletoholda

laserbeamfocusedonadimethat is200miles

away (the distance fromWashington D.C. to

NewYorkCity).

Astrometry Science

Astrometry is the science that dealswith the

determinationofprecisepositionsandmotions

of stars. The FGSs canprovide starpositions

thatareabout10timesmoreprecisethanthose

observedfromagroundbasedtelescope.


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When used for astrometric science the FGSs

willletHubble:

Searchforwobblesinthemotionofnearbystarsthatcouldbeindicativeofplanetary

companions.

Determineifcertainstarsreallyaredoublestars.

Measuretheangulardiameterofstars,galaxiesandothercelestialobjects.

Refinethepositions,distancesandenergyoutputofstars.

Helpdeterminethetruedistancescalefortheuniverse.

Servicing

TheFGS thatwasreturnedonSM3Ahasbeen

refurbished and upgraded for reuse on

HubblesServicingMission4. Thisrefurbished

unit has an enhanced inorbit alignment

capabilityovertheoriginalFGSdesign.

FGSPHYSICALCHARACTERISTICS

Size 5.5x4x2feet

Weight 478pounds

Power 19Watts

NEW OUTER BLANKET LAYERS (NOBLS)

During the Hubble Space Telescope Second

Servicing Mission in 1997 and subsequent

missions,

astronauts

observed

damage

to

some

of the telescopes thermal insulation. Yearsof

exposuretotheharshenvironmentofspacehad

takena tollonHubblesprotectivemultilayer

insulation,andsomeareasweretornorbroken.

This multilayer insulation protects the

observatory from the severe and rapid

temperaturechangesitexperiencesasitmoves

STS-125 Press Kit

Documents

Transcript of STS-125 Press Kit