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#420
by
generic_handle_42
on 18 May, 2009 20:49
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Q: Telescope returned to flagship status. Fair to say that Hubble is brand new compared to what it was in 1990? Anything that is original still on Hubble?
A: Still a lot of original equipment. HGA gimbals are still originals. When HGAs stop tracking, it's gonna be difficult to get data down. Knock on wood. Original data management unit, several hundred components that are original. Solar arrays, gyros are new. Great job in taking care of known wear out items. Tape recorders were state of the art when launched. Two of those replaced with Solid State recorders. Arrays are now smaller in size, less ballistic profile, more power. Like a free reboost. Last group of gyros removed had some early improvements, so they lasted pretty long.
Then we have instruments themselves. They are orders of magnitude more powerful. It is more capable than Hubble of 1990.
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#421
by
generic_handle_42
on 18 May, 2009 20:51
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Q: Status of instrument aliveness?
A: WFC-3 is good, COS is good, ACS is good. STIS aliveness is good, minor mistakes in functional checkout plan, had to restart, still working through. Trying to restore mechanism power. That has been restored. No reason to believe it won't pass functional.
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#422
by
generic_handle_42
on 18 May, 2009 20:54
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Q: How much more powerful is Hubble now that when it was launched and first serviced in '93?
A: Several parameters you can look at. Data volume has increased about 30 times. Wavelength coverage can now look at near infrared, we have full spectral capability. Instruments are far more sensitive. Next gen instruments do order of magnitude better than originals. WFC-3 sensitivity is exquisite.
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#423
by
generic_handle_42
on 18 May, 2009 20:56
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Q: Five years from now, when you look back at what has been learned what will you expect to see?
A: Expect to be able to do a lot more with dark energy. Expect to see assembly of galaxies earlier than before. With wide field capability we can do surveys across the sky, can look at stellar populations as they evolve over time. Can look at star formation, and planetary systems. Want to analyze atmospheres of extrasolar planets. Balck holes, globular clusters. Hubble has shown us it is things you can't anticipate that yield the best results.
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#424
by
generic_handle_42
on 18 May, 2009 20:58
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Q: What are you going to look at first?
A: We are NOT going to look at the bright earth. Don't have specific list of targets yet. Observing point sources like stars is always one of the first things we do. This is used to calibrate optical distortions. This is done as part of SMOV. Common in the past to look at globular clusters and things first.
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#425
by
generic_handle_42
on 18 May, 2009 20:59
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Briefing wrapping up with programming notes.
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#426
by
eeergo
on 18 May, 2009 21:01
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I haven't been able to post during this mission
Same here! I have been following this mission whenever I could (I've have lots of exams lately), and I'd like to thank everyone. This has been a fantastic mission!! 
I'd like to second that (or third, I'm not really sure
) Lots of work and exams coming up in June, so didn't really have time to watch all the EVAs, not even one of them fully. That, combined with the special character of this mission, has made your coverage absolutely priceless, and very much appreciated. To "rewatch" the EVAs great moments, with unique pictures, and with your great comments and quoting, was almost as good as watching it live. The only drawback is that I couldn't almost contribute, but well...
A huge 'thank you' to the whole NSF community for allowing us to have this amazing corner of space goodness in the Internet.
STS-125 is being an absolutely jaw-dropping mission, looking forward to the grand finale. Kind of sad to think of this as being the last forseeable crewed mission to an uncrewed satellite. Also the last one to get as far away from the Earth for the next 10 years at least... only 600km, but almost twice what is usual for ISS or space stations.
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#427
by
Ronsmytheiii
on 18 May, 2009 21:26
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To "rewatch" the EVAs great moments, with unique pictures, and with your great comments and quoting, was almost as good as watching it live. The only drawback is that I couldn't almost contribute, but well...
A huge 'thank you' to the whole NSF community for allowing us to have this amazing corner of space goodness in the Internet.
STS-125 is being an absolutely jaw-dropping mission, looking forward to the grand finale. Kind of sad to think of this as being the last forseeable crewed mission to an uncrewed satellite. Also the last one to get as far away from the Earth for the next 10 years at least... only 600km, but almost twice what is usual for ISS or space stations.
Well dont worry the best is yet to come, in Imax 3D (when can I prepay for the tickets already!)
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#428
by
psloss
on 18 May, 2009 21:27
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Mike Massimino interrogates the rest of the crew again on the HD downlink coming down now. In an entertaining way.
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#429
by
eeergo
on 18 May, 2009 21:33
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Massimino and his interviews are great
"What was the most nail-biting moment for you? (talking to the CDR)"
"Rendezvous..."
"..."
---loud laughs---
"What did you like most about the EVAs?"
"You breaking that bolt."
"Oh, I did it when I knew the ground didn't have video, so that I could get it over with"
"What do we do now the spacewalks are over?"
"Well, we have late inspection... were you part of this team?"
"Oh, I am... but then we have a day off!"
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#430
by
psloss
on 18 May, 2009 21:34
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The bit after that with Scott Altman interviewing Mike Massimino was also good. Now running some more video.
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#431
by
ichilton
on 18 May, 2009 21:43
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This transcript from the CBS e-mail is funny:
The antenna incident occurred near the end of today's spacewalk as Grunsfeld was rigging Hubble's support platform for the telescope's deployment Tuesday.
"One last handshake with Mr. Hubble from me," Grunsfeld called at 2:27 p.m., removing a support post from the base of the telescope. "OK, I'm off the telescope."
"Copy, off the telescope," Mike Massimino said from the flight deck.
A few moments later, Grunsfeld apparently bumped the low-gain antenna.
"Low gain ant... hold, John, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop," Michael Good radioed from inside Atlantis as Grunsfeld floating near the base of the telescope.
"Thank you."
"OK. We liberated a small piece of something off the end of that."
"Yep, we did," someone said.
"You see where it went?"
"It's under the telescope, passing underneath," Good said. "OK, it's coming back down into the payload bay now."
"You see where?"
"Yeah, I can see it. It's right by the BAPS post. You can probably even get it."
"I don't think it's an issue," astronaut Michael Massimino said.
"Yep, I think we ought to get it," Grunsfeld disagreed.
"OK."
"We've got eyes on it," someone said.
"Let me go look at the antenna..." Grunsfeld said.
"It looks like a little piece of tape..."
"Ahhhh..." Grunsfeld groaned. "Is it a little piece of tape?"
"Yeah."
"I've got it," Feustel said.
"Oh no, I hope the antenna's OK," Grunsfeld said. "Oh, I feel terrible."
"You hit the low gain?" Massimino asked.
"I tapped the low gain antenna with my foot," Grunsfeld said. "Ahh...."
"There are two of them," Massimino said in an effort to cheer up his crewmate.
"No, Houston, do you have a picture of this?" Grunsfeld asked.
"Atlantis, Houston, we can't see you right now," Dan Burbank called from mission control.
"OK. I'm sick," Grunsfeld said. "It kind of knocked off the end cap."
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#432
by
53c170b
on 18 May, 2009 22:07
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Perhaps I missed this, but since it seemed so simple to replace the cap on the LGA, why didn't John just replace it when it was disturbed?
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#433
by
Ronsmytheiii
on 18 May, 2009 22:09
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#434
by
Ronsmytheiii
on 18 May, 2009 22:11
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Video I forgot to post until now
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#435
by
Kel
on 18 May, 2009 22:20
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Q: Status of instrument aliveness?
A: WFC-3 is good, COS is good, ACS is good. STIS aliveness is good, minor mistakes in functional checkout plan, had to restart, still working through. Trying to restore mechanism power. That has been restored. No reason to believe it won't pass functional.
I was wondering about the repeat functional test of STIS after it safed itself yesterday....guess it's still in work.
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#436
by
generic_handle_42
on 18 May, 2009 22:25
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Q: Status of instrument aliveness?
A: WFC-3 is good, COS is good, ACS is good. STIS aliveness is good, minor mistakes in functional checkout plan, had to restart, still working through. Trying to restore mechanism power. That has been restored. No reason to believe it won't pass functional.
I was wondering about the repeat functional test of STIS after it safed itself yesterday....guess it's still in work.
Yeah, that was the gist of the answer during the MSB. STIS is alive, but mistakes were made during the functional, and they've had to repeat several of the procedures. That is still ongoing. Preston has faith that it will all work in the end though.
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#437
by
dcbecker
on 18 May, 2009 23:27
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doesnt sound good for PAO to be chowing down while talking.
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#438
by
rocketguy101
on 19 May, 2009 00:19
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Say cheese!
wow...that picture gave me goosebumps, as I read through this thread--kinda like the last day of your senior year in high school, knowing its over, and you're leaving your friends--you know there is exciting stuff coming up in the future, but its bittersweet anyway.
thanks everybody for the postings, it has been great to catch up, and being able to get more details on the events as they happen. NSF is a fantastic resource! Also congrats to the STS-125 crew--great job!
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#439
by
shaula1247
on 19 May, 2009 00:45
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STOSS briefing due any time now
