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STS-125: The mission

A detailed step-by-step preview of space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to extend the life and vision of the Hubble Space Telescope.

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STS-125: The EVAs

The lead spacewalk officer provides indepth explanations of the five EVAs to service Hubble during Atlantis' flight.

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STS-125: The crew

The seven shuttle Atlantis astronauts hold a press conference one month before their planned launch to Hubble.

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STS-125: NASA leaders

The leaders of NASA's Space Operations and Science directorates give their insights into the upcoming shuttle mission to the Hubble Space Telescope.

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STS-125: Shuttle boss

The head of NASA's space shuttle program discusses the risks and plans for Atlantis' trek to Hubble.

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The Hubble program

An overview of the Hubble Space Telescope program and the planning that has gone into the final servicing mission.

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Hubble's future science

The new instruments to be installed into Hubble and the future science objectives for the observatory are previewed.

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Meet the Hubble crew

Meet the crew launching on Atlantis' STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope and learn how each became an astronaut in this special biography movie.

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Two new gyro packs, one refurbished unit installed
BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: May 15, 2009

Astronaut Michael Massimino, inside the Hubble Space Telescope, and fellow spacewalker Michael "Bueno" Good, on the end of the shuttle Atlantis' robot arm, successfully installed four state-of-the-art gyroscopes in the Hubble Space Telescope today. But an alignment problem prevented installation of a box containing a final two gyros and the astronauts were forced to install a refurbished spare in its place.


A helmet-mounted camera on Mike Massimino's suit shows the astronaut handing the first gyro pack out to Mike Good. Credit: NASA TV
 
Installing the new gyros was the top priority in the five-spacewalk servicing mission and engineers at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., verified that all six gyros were properly connected and working properly.

"Mass and Beueno, my friend (King) Leonidas has a couple of words for you guys that are appropriate right now," Atlantis commander Scott Altman joked. "'Remember this day, men, for it will be yours for all time.'"

"Thanks, Scooter. We've got a little more work to do, but thanks," Massimino replied. "Thank very much."

He was referring to installation of a new battery pack, the first of two that will be installed during Atlantis' mission. The gyro installation problem put the spacewalkers about an hour and a half behind schedule.

With Massimino anchored inside the telescope, moving cautiously because of close proximity to sensitive star trackers, the two spacewalkers started with RSU No. 2 in the upper right corner of an equipment bay. The process required Massimino to detach two electrical cables and for Good, operating a power drill with a long socket fitting, to unscrew the bolts holding the box in place.

Good then attached the replacement RSU to an extension tool and carefully passed it into the telescope to Massimino. Once positioned properly on guide pins, Good would drive bolts to secure the replacement unit.

The process worked fine for RSU 2. But when the astronauts attempted to install a new gyro pack, serial number 1007, in the RSU 3 position in the upper left corner of the equipment bay, they ran into problems. Despite repeated attempts, they were unable to get the new unit aligned on the guide pins good enough to permit the bolts to engage.

Good said it felt like the new unit was rocking slightly on its mounting plate, indicating a problem that prevented it from sitting flush and preventing the bolts from engaging. After discussing the issue with the ground, it was decided to temporarily store the 1007 RSU and to mount the box intended for the RSU 1 position.

"I'm not too confident this is going to fit anywhere," Good said at one point, referring to 1007.

But the astronauts pressed ahead and had no problems installing the RSU 1 unit in the RSU 3 slot.

"All right, Mike, let's get it," Massimino said.

Once in position, the astronauts put the RSU in position and Good drove in the bolts to secure it.

"Three (turns), four, five, I definitely got it," Good reported.

"Excellent," Massimino replied. Cheering could be heard from the shuttle's flight deck.

"You're my hero," Massimino said. "Yeah, that bolt is in. Great job, Mike."

After a second bolt was driven home, someone wryly observed: "Double-oh seven double crossed us!"

"Ah hah!" Massimino said.

The astronauts then moved to RSU position 1 and removed the old unit. But again, they were unable to get the 1007 box to fit flush on the mounting plate. Flight controllers gave Good permission to make additional attempts, but John Grunsfeld, an astronomer-astronaut making his third visit to Hubble, said he disagreed.

"It's really your guys' call, of course, but I'm a little uncomfortable with trying to make an inertial platform out of something that may not be installed flat, even if we get one of the bolts done," he said.

"John, we copy and we agree with that plan," astronaut Dan Burbank replied from Houston.

Massimino and Good then returned to an equipment carrier and retrieved a spare RSU that was carried aloft as a backup. The spare unit was removed from Hubble during a servicing flight in 1999 and then refurbished. It does not feature some of the improvements built into the RSUs installed in positions 2 and 3 and as such, it may not operate as long as the new models. But Hubble can be operated with just two gyros and, in extreme cases, just one.

As it turned out, Good had additional problems getting the spare unit in place but he eventually succeeded.

"Atlantis is pleased to report RSU 1 connectors are mated," Good said.

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VIDEO: NARRATED PREVIEW OF SPACEWALK NO. 2 PLAY
VIDEO: FLIGHT DIRECTOR'S PREVIEW OF MISSION'S DAY 5 PLAY

VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 4 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: THURSDAY NIGHT UPDATE FROM HST CONTROL CENTER PLAY
VIDEO: THURSDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: SOFT CAPTURE MECHANISM PUT ON HUBBLE PLAY
VIDEO: SCIENCE INSTRUMENT COMMAND & DATA HANDLING UNIT PLAY
VIDEO: PARTIALLY FAILED SIC&DH UNIT REMOVED FROM HST PLAY
VIDEO: WFPC2 CAMERA STOWED IN ATLANTIS FOR RETURN PLAY
VIDEO: OVERVIEW OF WIDE FIELD CAMERA 3 INSTRUMENT PLAY
VIDEO: SPACEWALKERS INSTALL THE WIDE FIELD CAMERA 3 PLAY
VIDEO: NEW WIDE FIELD CAMERA 3 PREPPED FOR INSTALLATION PLAY
VIDEO: 16-YEAR-OLD WFPC2 CAMERA REMOVED FROM HUBBLE PLAY
VIDEO: LATCHING BOLT ON WPFC2 FINALLY RELEASED PLAY
VIDEO: FIGHTING WITH TROUBLESOME BOLT ON WPFC2 PLAY
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VIDEO: HANDLING FIXTURE DEPLOYED TO HOLD OLD CAMERA PLAY
VIDEO: GRUNSFELD INSTALLS SUPPORT POSTS UNDER HST PLAY
VIDEO: FEUSTEL OPENS LATCHES ON INSTRUMENT CARRIER PLAY
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS EXIT AIRLOCK TO START EVA NO. 1 PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED PREVIEW OF SPACEWALK NO. 1 PLAY

VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 3 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: WEDNESDAY NIGHT UPDATE FROM HST CONTROL CENTER PLAY
VIDEO: WEDNESDAY'S MISSION MANAGEMENT TEAM UPDATE PLAY
VIDEO: WEDNESDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: TIME-LAPSE OF MOVING HUBBLE INTO PAYLOAD BAY PLAY
VIDEO: SHUTTLE ATLANTIS' ROBOT ARM CAPTURES HUBBLE PLAY
VIDEO: FIRST UP CLOSE VIEWS OF HUBBLE IN 7 YEARS PLAY
VIDEO: SHUTTLE ENGINE FIRING TO CIRCULARIZE ORBIT PLAY
VIDEO: INSIGHTFUL OVERVIEW OF ATLANTIS' MISSION PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED PREVIEW ANIMATION OF HUBBLE RENDEZVOUS PLAY

VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 2 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: TUESDAY NIGHT UPDATE FROM HST CONTROL CENTER PLAY
VIDEO: TUESDAY'S MISSION MANAGEMENT TEAM UPDATE PLAY
VIDEO: SLOW-MOTION OF DEBRIS THAT APPARENTLY HIT TILES PLAY
VIDEO: TILE DAMAGE FOUND DURING INSPECTIONS PLAY
VIDEO: CAPCOM CALLS CREW ABOUT MINOR DAMAGE PLAY
VIDEO: TUESDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: PREVIEW ANIMATION OF HEAT SHIELD INSPECTIONS PLAY

VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 1 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: THE FULL STS-125 LAUNCH EXPERIENCE PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: EXTERNAL TANK CAMERA PLAY
VIDEO: FOOTAGE OF FUEL TANK AFTER JETTISON PLAY

VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: FRONT CAMERA PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: BEACH TRACKER PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PAD PERIMETER PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: UCS-23 TRACKER PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA CS-1 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA CS-2 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA CS-6 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: VAB ROOF PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PRESS SITE PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: WEST TOWER PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 009 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 041 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 049 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 050 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 051 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 060 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 061 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 063 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 070 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 071 PLAY

VIDEO: SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS BLASTS OFF! PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: STS-125 POST-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY
VIDEO: INSIDE MISSION CONTROL DURING LAUNCH PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED ANIMATION OF DAY 1 INSPECTIONS PLAY

VIDEO: FINAL PRE-LAUNCH READINESS POLLS CONDUCTED PLAY
VIDEO: SHUTTLE'S CREW MODULE HATCH CLOSED FOR FLIGHT PLAY
VIDEO: MISSION SPECIALIST MEGAN MCARTHUR BOARDS PLAY
VIDEO: PILOT GREG JOHNSON BOARDS ATLANTIS PLAY
VIDEO: MISSION SPECIALIST JOHN GRUNSFELD BOARDS PLAY
VIDEO: SHUTTLE COMMANDER SCOTT ALTMAN BOARDS PLAY
VIDEO: CREW DEPARTS QUARTERS FOR LAUNCH PAD PART 1 | PART 2
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS DON SPACESUITS FOR LAUNCH PLAY
VIDEO: TIME-LAPSE OF LAUNCH PAD GANTRY ROLLBACK PLAY

VIDEO: HUBBLE'S FUTURE AFTER ATLANTIS SERVICING PLAY
VIDEO: TOP DISCOVERIES MADE BY HUBBLE TELESCOPE PLAY
VIDEO: THE ROLLERCOASTER LIFE OF HUBBLE PLAY
VIDEO: WHAT IS HUBBLE'S PLACE IN HISTORY? PLAY
VIDEO: ENTERTAINING LOOK AT ATLANTIS' CREW PLAY
VIDEO: HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE HISTORY MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: A TRIBUTE TO THE CAMERA THAT SAVED HUBBLE PLAY
VIDEO: HUBBLE TELESCOPE PROGRAM BRIEFING FROM SUNDAY PLAY

VIDEO: SUNDAY'S COUNTDOWN STATUS AND WEATHER UPDATE PLAY
VIDEO: THE STS-125 PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY
VIDEO: SATURDAY'S COUNTDOWN STATUS AND WEATHER UPDATE PLAY
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VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH MS3 JOHN GRUNSFELD PLAY | '09 UPDATE
VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH MS4 MIKE MASSIMINO PLAY | '09 UPDATE
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