{"id":24033,"date":"2024-05-19T01:38:32","date_gmt":"2024-05-18T17:38:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/how-the-space-shuttle-completed-a-final-daring-hubble-repair-15-years-ago\/"},"modified":"2024-05-19T01:38:32","modified_gmt":"2024-05-18T17:38:32","slug":"how-the-space-shuttle-completed-a-final-daring-hubble-repair-15-years-ago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/how-the-space-shuttle-completed-a-final-daring-hubble-repair-15-years-ago\/","title":{"rendered":"How the Space Shuttle completed a final, daring Hubble repair 15 years ago"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Hubble Space Telescope continues to operate to this day in part due to the work performed 15 years ago by the crew of STS-125. Dubbed Hubble Servicing Mission 4 (HSM 4), scientists knew this would be their final chance to use the space shuttle to visit and upgrade the orbiting laboratory.<\/p>\n<p>As we look back on the mission, the question remains whether or not Hubble will be visited or repaired again.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Hubble\u2019s Blurry Start<\/p>\n<p>Launched in April 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope started off with a serious defect. NASA had to announce that the billion-dollar observatory was not functioning as it should. This was due to a mirror that was precisely ground to the wrong shape \u2014 by just 1\/50th the width of a human hair \u2014 a decade earlier at the Perkin-Elmer facility in Danbury, Connecticut.<\/p>\n<p>Known as a \u201cspherical aberration,\u201d the mistake meant that all points of light would not focus at a singular point, essentially rendering the telescope nearsighted, with many images appearing blurry.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Saving Hubble Space Telescope... Again.\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tKetXK4fskw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" name=\"fitvid0\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-13=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>After much lauding from late-night comedians, the press, and even members of congress who originally supported the telescope, it was decided that a repair mission would be attempted to literally bring Hubble into focus.<\/p>\n<p>Space Shuttle<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>Space Technology<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>Space tourism guides<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>\n<p>     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/p>\n<p>Servicing Mission 1<\/p>\n<p>Launching in 1993, STS-61 installed the Wide Field and Planetary Camera-2 (WF\/PC2), which would replace the original Wide Field and Planetary Camera (WF\/PC) and feature built-in corrective optics, and the Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement (COSTAR) box which would correct the light for three axial instruments. The High Speed Photometer (HSP), which was one of four instruments mounted in boxes just above the telescope\u2019s mirror, was sacrificed and COSTAR was installed in its place.<\/p>\n<p>The repairs were a resounding success.<\/p>\n<p>More Visits to Hubble<\/p>\n<p>While engineers never planned for entire instruments to be removed from it, Hubble continued to get smarter and sharper. Servicing Mission 2 visited in 1997 adding the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph and Near Infrared Camera and the Multi-Object Spectrometer.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-100008\" class=\"size-full wp-image-100008\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/smith-and-grusfeld-3a.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1357\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/smith-and-grusfeld-3a.webp 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/smith-and-grusfeld-3a-350x232.webp 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/smith-and-grusfeld-3a-528x350.webp 528w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/smith-and-grusfeld-3a-768x509.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/smith-and-grusfeld-3a-1920x1272.webp 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/smith-and-grusfeld-3a-1170x775.webp 1170w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/smith-and-grusfeld-3a-780x516.webp 780w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/smith-and-grusfeld-3a-263x175.webp 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-100008\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Astronauts Steven Smith and John Grunsfeld work inside Hubble during Servicing Mission 39 in 1999. (Credit: NASA)<\/p>\n<p>Then Hubble was hit with failing gyroscopes, which help keep it pointed at its targets. Three of the six onboard the telescope had failed. That saw the launch of Servicing Mission 3A in 1999. Not only were the gyros replaced, the crew upgraded the computers and electronics in anticipation the next mission, 3B.<\/p>\n<p>Three years later <em>Columbia<\/em> visited and installed the first new instrument since that second servicing mission, the Advanced Camera for Surveys, doubling the view of the wide field camera already onboard and bringing Hubble into the 21st century along with upgrading its solar panels to more effective ones.<\/p>\n<p>Had Atlantis suffered major damage during her launch to the telescope, Endeavour was sat on Pad 39B, ready to launch at short notice on an ambitious rescue mission.<\/p>\n<p>Uncertainty Over HSM 4<\/p>\n<p>Crews had hoped for at least one more repair mission, but that was put into serious doubt following the loss of the STS-107 crew upon reentry in 2003. The shuttle was grounded while improvements to vehicle safety were made, however during that down time, President George W. Bush announced that the shuttle program would be retired in 2010.<\/p>\n<p>On Jan. 6, 2004, NASA Administrator Sean O\u2019Keefe made the decision to cancel the fifth servicing mission, labeled HSM 4, amid safety concerns after the recent disaster.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"A Mission So Dangerous A Rescue Shuttle Was Ready! | STS-125\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/c9GdIPxd4V4?start=1&amp;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" name=\"fitvid1\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-13=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>However, NASA\u2019s next administrator, Mike Griffin, reinstated the mission after safety concerns were addressed, and Space Shuttle <em>Atlantis<\/em> would fly the STS-125 mission to Hubble. One of the risk mitigation procedures included a&nbsp;unique rescue mission in the event of an anomaly.<\/p>\n<p>Rescue Mission<\/p>\n<p>This rescue mission was called STS-400.<\/p>\n<p>When the Space Shuttle fleet returned to action after the loss of Columbia, major alternations were made both to the vehicle and to the procedures \u2013 all aimed at mitigating the threats of damage to the Thermal Protection System (TPS) on the orbiter.<\/p>\n<p>While engineers successfully reduced most of the foam liberations from the External Tank \u2013 the cause of the damage that mortally wounded Columbia \u2013 it was decided that an additional backup option would become the norm \u2013 using the International Space Station (ISS) as a \u201cSafe Haven\u201d if inspections showed major damage to the heat shield of the orbiter.<\/p>\n<p>That was the pattern for all RTF (Return To Flight) missions, with on-orbit inspections of Flight Day 2 involving the Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) checking over every inch of the orbiter TPS to send huge amounts of photos and video to the Damage Assessment Team (DAT) on the ground.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-61427\" class=\"size-full wp-image-61427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-12-41-58-295.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1392\" height=\"854\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-12-41-58-295.jpg 1392w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-12-41-58-295-350x215.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-12-41-58-295-570x350.jpg 570w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-12-41-58-295-180x110.jpg 180w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-12-41-58-295-768x471.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-12-41-58-295-1170x718.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1392px) 100vw, 1392px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-61427\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The OBSS and a slide of detailed chip damage \u2013 via L2<\/p>\n<p>All the OBSS imagery from its suite of sensors would then be followed up by the stunning RPM (R-bar Pitch Maneuver, popularly called the Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver) that put the orbiter into a black flip under the Station while ISS crewmembers took high-quality photos of the TPS.<\/p>\n<p>This maneuver was also a new inclusion for Return To Flight and also required the mission to be to the ISS.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Shuttle RPM - onboard and from the ISS\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XaCn63IWoUI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" name=\"fitvid2\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-13=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The orbiter would then dock with the ISS and, providing the DAT cleared the orbiter from any damage concerns, one final inspection would take place shortly after undocking in order to provide the final green light to return home.<\/p>\n<p>At any point during the mission timeline, the observation of major damage would have resulted in a call to evaluate repairs or opt to use the ISS as \u201cSafe Haven\u201d \u2013 an option still available to the crew even after undocking, per a contingency return to the ISS if issues had been found during \u201cFinal Inspections\u201d with the OBSS.<\/p>\n<p>Shuttle managers always had this option during ISS missions, with the next orbiter set to launch placed into a point of her processing flow that would allow a change of call signs.<\/p>\n<p>Had the call to take up \u201cSafe Haven\u201d been made, the next orbiter would move to her \u201cLON\u201d (Launch On Need) call sign, assigned as Contingency Shuttle Crew Support (CSCS) on the manifests, abandoning its primary mission flow and moving to the pad as a rescue vehicle, launching with a subset of four from her assigned crew.<\/p>\n<p>For example, the Atlantis STS-122 mission had Endeavour on LON standby as STS-323. Once Atlantis was cleared for return, Endeavour reverted back to her primary STS-123 mission flow.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-61425\" class=\"wp-image-61425 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-03-31-40-748.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1580\" height=\"945\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-03-31-40-748.jpg 1580w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-03-31-40-748-350x209.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-03-31-40-748-585x350.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-03-31-40-748-768x459.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-03-31-40-748-1170x700.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1580px) 100vw, 1580px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-61425\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Shuttle (FAWG) Manifest ahead of STS-125 \u2013 via L2 (Note, the plans changed for the latter flights<\/p>\n<p>Incidentally, the fate of the damaged orbiter during such a contingency was mostly based on programming that would have ordered the orbiter to undock and conduct a destructive, tail-first, re-entry over the Pacific Ocean.<\/p>\n<p>However, there were options to allow the orbiter to make an uncrewed landing via a box of tricks to carry out some of the crew inputs, such as lowering the landing gear. It was always unlikely to be used during a Safe Haven\/LON event, given the concerns a damaged orbiter would not survive re-entry.<\/p>\n<p>The Autonomous Orbiter Rapid Prototype (AORP) was a modification that matured to full RCO (Remote Control Orbiter), allowing the orbiter to complete the final landing procedures requiring&nbsp;human intervention. It would have required crewmembers on the ISS to install a box into the flight deck over certain \u201chuman intervention\u201d switches.<\/p>\n<p>All of the remaining Shuttle missions were dedicated to finishing the assembly of the ISS, allowing this key backup of \u201cSafe Haven\u201d to be implemented until the end of the program. There was a plan to return to Hubble one final time, but NASA Administrator Sean O\u2019Keefe canceled this mission due to the fallout from the Columbia disaster.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"widget-title penci-border-arrow\">See Also<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Endeavour Forum Section<\/li>\n<li>L2 STS-400 Section<\/li>\n<li>Click here to Join L2<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>However, with Hubble in desperate need of upgrades and repairs, pressure from the science community and then lawmakers \u2013 notably Senator Barbara Mikulski \u2013 successfully gained support from O\u2019Keefe\u2019s replacement, Mike Griffin, who reinstated the mission.<\/p>\n<p>That led to a major review within NASA, given that this mission would not have the support of \u201cSafe Haven\u201d and actually included additional risks for the orbiter. It would have to push its propellant reserves to reach the higher orbit of Hubble and also increase the risk of being hit by MMOD (Micro-Meteoroid Orbiting Debris).<\/p>\n<p>After much deliberation, the solution was to have another Shuttle on the adjacent pad, ready to launch at short notice to rush to the aid of Atlantis\u2019 crew.<\/p>\n<p>As the Shuttle manifest started to align, Atlantis was awarded STS-125\u2019s servicing mission to Hubble and Endeavour was next in line to launch and thus gained the STS-400 rescue mission supporting role.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-61430\" class=\"wp-image-61430 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-08-04-617.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"898\" height=\"452\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-08-04-617.jpg 898w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-08-04-617-350x176.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-08-04-617-630x317.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-08-04-617-768x387.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 898px) 100vw, 898px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-61430\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The \u201cunofficial\u201d STS-400 patches used within NASA via NSF and CollectSPACE<\/p>\n<p>Normally, with \u201cSafe Haven\u201d in play, the crew of the damaged orbiter could reside in the ISS for several months until the next Shuttle could be launched to return them to Earth. However, with no\u201dSafe Haven,\u201d Atlantis would go through two stages of power-down procedures to stretch consumables to around four weeks in \u201clifeboat\u201d mode.<\/p>\n<p>If unrepairable damage is detected during the FD-2 TPS inspections and a decision is made to conduct an immediate Group C+ power-down, Atlantis could act as a life raft for her Flight Crew for just over 24 days if needed.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, should un-repairable damage be detected on FD-10 during the late inspections, and the decision made to move immediately into Group C+ power-down, Atlantis could act as a life raft for an additional 16.5 days, with the STS-400 rescue mission arriving No Earlier Than 15 days 16 hours after the damage was detected.<\/p>\n<p>While a \u2018P-t-P\u2019 (Pad to Pad) option was available, the turnaround was classed as \u201ctoo tight to be viable.\u201d Thus, NASA opted to hold back the full handover date of Pad 39B to the Constellation Program in preparation for the Ares I-X test launch until after the stand-down was given during STS-125. Endeavour was&nbsp;the last Shuttle to reside on Pad 39B.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-61429\" class=\"size-full wp-image-61429\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-05-08-173.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1606\" height=\"842\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-05-08-173.jpg 1606w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-05-08-173-350x183.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-05-08-173-630x330.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-05-08-173-768x403.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-05-08-173-1170x613.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1606px) 100vw, 1606px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-61429\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Atlantis and Endeavour on the KSC pads \u2013 via L2<\/p>\n<p>The dual flows for Atlantis and Endeavour saw the latter play musical chairs during their processing flows before both taking up residency at the KSC pads.<\/p>\n<p>After the stand-down of the LON requirement was given during STS-125, Endeavour would then be transported from Pad B to Pad A and prepared for her primary mission, STS-126.<\/p>\n<p>As Atlantis launched on STS-125, the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) on 39B was closed to protect Endeavour.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-61428\" class=\"size-full wp-image-61428\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-02-45-754.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"891\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-02-45-754.jpg 891w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-02-45-754-350x201.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-02-45-754-609x350.jpg 609w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-02-45-754-768x441.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 891px) 100vw, 891px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-61428\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Atlantis STS-125 launches as Endeavour STS-400 sits on 39B \u2013 via NASA<\/p>\n<p>Had Atlantis suffered major damage during ascent, the first option would have been to attempt spacewalks to repair the areas of concern via onboard items such as the Tile&nbsp;Repair&nbsp;Ablator Dispenser (T-RAD).<\/p>\n<p>If the orbiter were in such a state that she was deemed unable to return the crew safely, Endeavour would have launched within a week.<\/p>\n<p>The STS-400 crew would have been a subset of her STS-126 crew, four crew members, led by Commander Christopher Ferguson and pilot Eric Boe.<\/p>\n<p>Endeavour would have arrived at the stricken Atlantis before Atlantis grappled onto Endeavour via her robotic arm. Endeavour\u2019s robotic arm would be used to help transfer the crew via the two orbiters.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-61431\" class=\"size-full wp-image-61431\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-16-29-252.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1159\" height=\"755\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-16-29-252.jpg 1159w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-16-29-252-350x228.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-16-29-252-537x350.jpg 537w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-16-29-252-768x500.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1159px) 100vw, 1159px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-61431\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The two orbiters during the grapple and crew transfer \u2013 via NASA<\/p>\n<p>A full day\u2019s worth of EVAs would take place, transporting the seven crew members of the STS-125 to Endeavour.<\/p>\n<p>The transfer was more complicated than \u201cjust\u201d transferring the crew, as EMU space suits and the crew\u2019s entry suits also had to move during the transfer.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-61432\" class=\"size-full wp-image-61432\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-22-38-649.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1498\" height=\"869\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-22-38-649.jpg 1498w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-22-38-649-350x203.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-22-38-649-603x350.jpg 603w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-22-38-649-768x446.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-22-38-649-1170x679.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1498px) 100vw, 1498px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-61432\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The complex transfer between Atlantis and Endeavour \u2013 via L2<\/p>\n<p>Following capture, a 90\u2010degree yaw of the arm would put the two vehicles payload bay\u2010to\u2010payload bay, providing the most stable attitude and position relative to the Earth\u2019s location, ahead of the three spacewalks by Atlantis\u2019 crew to relocate<br \/>\nto Endeavour.<\/p>\n<p>The third day of the mission would have been dedicated to setting up the translation path from Atlantis to Endeavour and starting crew transfer. The crew would have strung a cable along the length of the robot arm to serve as the translation path, and the first crewmember would have been moved to Endeavour.<\/p>\n<p>The first spacewalk would have been scheduled to last four hours and 50 minutes, followed by three more. The final spacewalk was budgeted for about two hours and 30 minutes. Prior to leaving Atlantis, the orbiter would reconfigure the vehicle so that she could be ground commanded through a deorbit disposal burn.<\/p>\n<p>Once all the crew and equipment were transferred, the command would be given to ungrapple Atlantis ahead of the return home. The additional crew members on Endeavour would have been accommodated via additional seats installed on the middeck.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-61434\" class=\"size-full wp-image-61434\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-46-20-774.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1678\" height=\"682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-46-20-774.jpg 1678w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-46-20-774-350x142.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-46-20-774-630x256.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-46-20-774-768x312.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/NSF-2019-05-19-13-46-20-774-1170x476.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1678px) 100vw, 1678px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-61434\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Returning the Atlantis crew \u2013 via L2 and NASA<\/p>\n<p>Thankfully, none of these procedures were required, as STS-125 was carried out successfully, and Atlantis returned home safely.<\/p>\n<p>This removed what would have been one of the riskiest missions undertaken during the 30-year career of the Space Shuttle Fleet, where a crew of four would have launched on an orbiter just days after an event had crippled the orbiter on the previous launch.<\/p>\n<p>The STS-400 crew would have launched on a rescue mission where they would have placed themselves in danger with no backup plan, resulting in both the STS-125 and STS-400 crews being left to their ultimate fate in space.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, the Hubble Servicing Mission gamble paid off.<\/p>\n<p>For Endeavour, the original plan was to move to 39A for STS-126 after the STS-400 standdown. However, with the delay to 125 from October 2008 to May 2009, Endeavour\u2019s primary mission was STS-127 instead, but it still used the four-person&nbsp;STS-126 subset crew.<\/p>\n<p>Launching STS-125<\/p>\n<p>As NASA approached launch in September 2008, a malfunction occurred in one of the systems that commands the science instruments and directs the flow of data within the telescope. With an uncertain future for Hubble, NASA wasn\u2019t going to leave it without a backup, delaying the launch to May 2009.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-100010\" class=\"size-full wp-image-100010\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/27625669004-d61d5df323-o.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/27625669004-d61d5df323-o.webp 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/27625669004-d61d5df323-o-350x232.webp 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/27625669004-d61d5df323-o-527x350.webp 527w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/27625669004-d61d5df323-o-768x510.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/27625669004-d61d5df323-o-1920x1275.webp 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/27625669004-d61d5df323-o-1170x777.webp 1170w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/27625669004-d61d5df323-o-263x175.webp 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-100010\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Atlantis launches on the STS-125 mission. (Credit: NASA)<\/p>\n<p>Space Shuttle&nbsp;<em>Endeavour&nbsp;<\/em>sat by on 39B as&nbsp;<em>Atlantis&nbsp;<\/em>took to the skies on the final shuttle repair mission to Hubble, lifting off on May 11, 2009.<\/p>\n<p>Following a day of checking <em>Atlantis<\/em>\u2019 tiles for damage using a special tool called the Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) and orbital maneuvering system (OMS) engine burns, the crew of seven had rendezvoused with Hubble.<\/p>\n<p>Astronaut Megan McArthur got the honor of grappling Hubble with the shuttle\u2019s Canadarm and attaching it to a special platform inside the payload bay, where it would stay until repairs were completed.<\/p>\n<p>Spacewalks<\/p>\n<p>With the tight schedule and demanding workload, the crews working during each spacewalk would rotate, allowing them some breaks in-between extravehicular activities (EVA). Through all of this, McArthur, along with Commander Scott Altman and Pilot Gregory Johnson, would assist from inside the shuttle. They would be known as the intravehicular activity (IVA) support team.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"widget-title penci-border-arrow\">See Also<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Atlantis Forum Section<\/li>\n<li>L2 STS-125 Section<\/li>\n<li>Click here to Join L2<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The first spacewalk saw John Grunsfeld and Drew Feustel replacing one of the most famous cameras, Wide Field Camera 2 (WFC2), responsible for taking well known photos like the pillars of creation. This was replaced by Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), which mainly observed in UV and infrared light. It produced a much wider view with higher sensitivity than its predecessor.<\/p>\n<p>WFC2 is currently located at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum after being returned to Earth on this mission.<\/p>\n<p>This first spacewalk also installed a low impact docking system meant to allow an uncrewed spacecraft to dock that would help deorbit Hubble near the end of its life.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-100011\" class=\"wp-image-100011 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/grunsfeld-feustel.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/grunsfeld-feustel.webp 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/grunsfeld-feustel-350x231.webp 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/grunsfeld-feustel-531x350.webp 531w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/grunsfeld-feustel-768x506.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/grunsfeld-feustel-1920x1266.webp 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/grunsfeld-feustel-1170x771.webp 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-100011\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Astronauts John Grunsfeld and Andrew Feustel work to replace Hubble\u2019s Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 with Wide Field Camera 3 during EVA 1. (Credit: NASA)<\/p>\n<p>EVA 2 saw Michael Good and Mike Massimino primarily focus on installing new gyroscopes as well as fresh batteries inside Hubble.<\/p>\n<p>The next new instrument came on the third spacewalk, when Grunsfeld and Feustel installed the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS). Taking the place of COSTAR inside the telescope, it was known as the most sensitive ultraviolet spectrograph ever planned to fly. COSTAR had been deemed obsolete following the installation of a newer version of the optical fix during HSM 3B in 2002.<\/p>\n<p>The duo also attempted to repair an instrument never designed to be worked on in orbit. The Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), one of the main visible light cameras, needed its power supply fixed. In fact this camera took the world-famous Hubble ultra deep field picture which gave us a true scale of the universe.<\/p>\n<p>The crew used custom made tools to remove an access panel and replace the camera\u2019s four circuit boards, plus install a new power supply. All but one instrument aboard ACS came back to life.<\/p>\n<p>The fourth spacewalk saw Good and Massimino attempting to remove a second instrument that required special attention due to its Earth-only repair design.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-100012\" class=\"size-full wp-image-100012\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/s125e008633large.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1275\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/s125e008633large.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/s125e008633large-350x232.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/s125e008633large-527x350.jpg 527w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/s125e008633large-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/s125e008633large-1170x777.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/s125e008633large-263x175.jpg 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-100012\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Astronauts Michael Good and Mike Massimino work to remove a handle with a stripped screw inside of Hubble during EVA 4. (Credit: NASA)<\/p>\n<p>The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph had failed five years earlier due to a blown power supply. The instrument, though, was located behind a panel which required four handles to be removed. That would be followed by the removal of 111 small screws and washers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Hubble Space Telescope continues to operate to this day in part due to the work performed 15 years ago by the crew of STS-125. Dubbed Hubble Servicing Mission 4 (HSM 4), scientists knew this would be their final chance to use the space shuttle to visit and upgrade the orbiting laboratory. As we look [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[3660,8289,4259,898,190,1390,8290,8291],"class_list":["post-24033","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-atlantis","tag-hst","tag-hubble","tag-hubble-space-telescope","tag-nasa","tag-space-shuttle","tag-sts-125","tag-sts-400"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24033"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24033"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24033\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24033"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24033"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24033"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}