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STS-125/HST SM-4 Status Report No. 13 (Forwarded)



 
 
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Old May 18th 09, 04:08 AM posted to sci.space.news
Andrew Yee[_1_]
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Default STS-125/HST SM-4 Status Report No. 13 (Forwarded)

STS-125 MCC Status Report #13
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas
Sunday, May 17, 2009, 7:30 p.m. CDT

In the sixth longest spacewalk in history, Astronauts Mike Massimino and
Michael Good tackled the intricate task of removing and capturing 111 screws
to be able to revive the Hubble Space Telescope's two-dimensional
spectroscopy capability.

In the 8 hour, 2 minute spacewalk, Massimino and Good repaired the Space
Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) by replacing a power supply board.
STIS, installed on the Hubble Space Telescope in 1997, stopped working in
August 2004 due to a power supply failure and was in a "safe mode."

Though the removal of the many screws was expected to be difficult, a
handrail gave Good and Massimino trouble. The handrail was obstructing the
path of a fastener capture plate and one stripped bolt prevented it from
coming free. Massimino followed steps developed quickly at the Goddard
Spaceflight Center to carefully bend and break the handrail free so that the
fastener capture plate could be installed. At about three hours into the
spacewalk, Massimino broke the handrail free allowing the spacewalkers to
proceed with the day's tasks.

The initial aliveness test reported the STIS as working properly. The
initial functional test was ended when the telescope put itself into "safe
mode," having reached a low thermal limit. The STIS is believed to be in
good shape. Ground controllers will start the functional tests over again,
once the telescope reaches a good temperature.

The STIS separates light into its component colors to reveal information
about the chemical content, temperature and motion of planets, comets,
stars, interstellar gas and galaxies. The information it can provide will
help scientists better understand the physical properties of the material
universe -- putting the physics in astrophysics.

Massimino and Good were unable to get to the installation of the New Outer
Blanket Layer (NOBL) on the outside of the telescope's bay 8. Mission
managers have asked Mission Specialists John Grunsfeld and Andrew Fuestel to
add the installation of a partial set of blankets on bay 8 during Monday's
spacewalk. If time permits, the two may get to install the full set.

The crew's sleep period will begin at 8:31 p.m. CDT, and the crew is due to
wake up tomorrow at 4:31 a.m. to conduct the fifth and final spacewalk of
the mission. The next status report will be issued at the beginning of the
crew's day or earlier if events warrant.
 




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