via Space.com, NASA has announced the scheduled launch of the shuttle Atlantis on Oct. 8 for the fifth and last Hubble Space Telescope maitenance mission. The mission is expected to last 11 days and has five spacewalks planned.
"shuttle astronauts will install two new science instruments plus a set of gyroscopes to help stabilize the telescope, as well as batteries and thermal blankets to keep the observatory operating until at least 2013.
Astronauts will also install a soft capture mechanism that will allow a future unmanned spacecraft to dock with Hubble in about 2020 and de-orbit it for a controlled plunge and disposal in the ocean."
The mission is also expected to attempt the repair of two failed instruments that have not previously been attempted in orbit. The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), which failed a year ago this month, have both been instrumental in confirming a number of scientific discoveries.
"STIS separates incoming light into its constituent colors, giving astronomers a chemical map of distant objects. Since its deployment, STIS has been critical in the confirmation of black holes at the centers of galaxies, made the first discovery of an atmosphere around an exoplanet and helped confirm the age of the universe."
The mission is also adding two instruments to the observatory, the Wide Field Camera 3, a "panchromatic" camera, and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS), which will examine the 'cosmic web' of dark matter strands connecting various galaxies throughout the universe.
Showing posts with label Shuttle Mission. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shuttle Mission. Show all posts
Friday, May 23, 2008
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Sensor Glitch Still has Shuttle Grounded
via MSWNBC, that faulty fuel sensor on Atlantis has postponed the next launch at least until Jan. 2nd. They will start loading fuel as a test of the system on Tuesday.
"the trouble could be anywhere in the 100 feet (30 meters) of wiring between the four gauges at the bottom of the fuel tank and the shuttle itself, in any of the connectors or even in the sensors themselves. A diagnostic tool known as a time-domain reflectometer will be used to track down exactly where a break in the circuitry might be located.
At the same time, engineers will conduct other tests, mostly in laboratories, to try to figure out what is causing the gauges in Atlantis’ tank to malfunction every time they’re exposed to the super-cold liquid hydrogen that fuels the shuttle."
The recalcitrant sensor has been an ongoing issue for the space agency since the Columbia tragedy. While launches have been made in the past with only three of the four sensors warking properly, NASA decided that all four must be in operation for this launch - although there is some consideration to moving back to the old rules if they cannot track down the problem.
"the trouble could be anywhere in the 100 feet (30 meters) of wiring between the four gauges at the bottom of the fuel tank and the shuttle itself, in any of the connectors or even in the sensors themselves. A diagnostic tool known as a time-domain reflectometer will be used to track down exactly where a break in the circuitry might be located.
At the same time, engineers will conduct other tests, mostly in laboratories, to try to figure out what is causing the gauges in Atlantis’ tank to malfunction every time they’re exposed to the super-cold liquid hydrogen that fuels the shuttle."
The recalcitrant sensor has been an ongoing issue for the space agency since the Columbia tragedy. While launches have been made in the past with only three of the four sensors warking properly, NASA decided that all four must be in operation for this launch - although there is some consideration to moving back to the old rules if they cannot track down the problem.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Atlantis moved to launch site
Space.com
Shuttle Atlantis has reached the launch pad for its upcoming mission (STS-117) to the ISS for further construction on the station.
"Commanded by veteran spaceflyer Rick Sturckow, Atlantis’ STS-117 crew [image] is slated to launch towards the ISS at 6:43 a.m. EDT (1043 GMT) on March 15, kicking off a series of five NASA shuttle missions to continue space station assembly over the next 12 months.
The astronauts plan to deliver two starboard ISS truss segments, a pair of new solar arrays and help retract an older solar wing on the mast-like Port 6 truss -- a counterpart to one folded away in a December shuttle flight -- during three spacewalks planned for their 11-day mission [image].
This mission will allow for the installation of both the European Columbus module (slated for STS-122 in the fall) and the Japanese Kibo module (slated for STS-123 in December). In addition to the shuttle construction missions, the ISS expects 5 unmanned supply missions this year, one to be the maiden voyage of the new European Automated Transfer Vehicle, and 2 Russian Soyuz missions to change ISS crews. A busy year to be sure.
Shuttle Atlantis has reached the launch pad for its upcoming mission (STS-117) to the ISS for further construction on the station.
"Commanded by veteran spaceflyer Rick Sturckow, Atlantis’ STS-117 crew [image] is slated to launch towards the ISS at 6:43 a.m. EDT (1043 GMT) on March 15, kicking off a series of five NASA shuttle missions to continue space station assembly over the next 12 months.
The astronauts plan to deliver two starboard ISS truss segments, a pair of new solar arrays and help retract an older solar wing on the mast-like Port 6 truss -- a counterpart to one folded away in a December shuttle flight -- during three spacewalks planned for their 11-day mission [image].
This mission will allow for the installation of both the European Columbus module (slated for STS-122 in the fall) and the Japanese Kibo module (slated for STS-123 in December). In addition to the shuttle construction missions, the ISS expects 5 unmanned supply missions this year, one to be the maiden voyage of the new European Automated Transfer Vehicle, and 2 Russian Soyuz missions to change ISS crews. A busy year to be sure.
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