1 min read

Hubble Space Telescope Berthed in Columbia’s Cargo Bay

The hubble space telescope (hst) berthed in the cargo bay of the space shuttle columbia during the sts-109 mission.
The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) berthed in the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle Columbia during the STS-109 mission silhouetted against the airglow of the Earth's horizon. For this fourth repair mission in March 2002, the telescope was captured and secured on a work stand in Columbia's payload bay using the shuttle’s robotic arm. Four of the seven-member crew performed five spacewalks completing system upgrades to the telescope.
NASA

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) berthed in the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle Columbia during the STS-109 mission silhouetted against the airglow of the Earth's horizon. For this fourth repair mission in March 2002, the telescope was captured and secured on a work stand in Columbia's payload bay using the shuttle’s robotic arm. Four of the seven-member crew performed five spacewalks completing system upgrades to the telescope. Included in those upgrades were: replacement of the solar array panels; replacement of the power control unit; replacement of the Faint Object Camera with a new advanced camera for surveys; and installation of the experimental cooling system for the Hubble's Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-object Spectrometer (NICMOS), which had been dormant since January 1999 when its original coolant ran out. The Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., managed the design, development, and construction of the telescope. Engineers designed the telescope so that it could be serviced in space to extend its life.

Share

Details

Last Updated
Nov 21, 2023
Editor
NASA Hubble Mission Team
Contact
NASA Hubble Mission Team

Related Terms

Explore More

Artist's concept of early stages of the young star FU Orionis outburst. The star, a bright yellow sphere near the center, and its fluffy disk of gas and dust are slightly tilted, extending from the top left corner to the bottom right. The swirling disk is bright yellow close to the star and gradually transitions to dark orange moving toward the edges of the frame. The top left and right corners reveal a black, starless background.
5 min read

NASA’s Hubble Finds Sizzling Details About Young Star FU Orionis

Article18 hours ago
5 min read

NASA’s Chandra, Hubble Tune Into ‘Flame-Throwing’ Guitar Nebula

Normally found only in heavy metal bands or certain post-apocalyptic films, a “flame-throwing guitar” has now been spotted moving through space. Astronomers have captured movies of this extreme cosmic object using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope. The new movie of Chandra (red) and Palomar (blue) data helps break down what is playing […]

Article2 days ago
10 min read

15 Years Ago: STS-129 Delivers Cargo on the Third Utilization and Logistics Flight

On Nov. 16, 2009, space shuttle Atlantis began its 31st trip into space, on the third Utilization and Logistics Flight (ULF3) mission to the International Space Station, the 31st shuttle flight to the orbiting lab. During the 11-day mission, the six-member STS-129 crew worked with the six-person Expedition 21 crew during seven days of docked […]

Article4 days ago
Keep Exploring

Discover More Topics From NASA

James Webb Space Telescope

The image is divided horizontally by an undulating line between a cloudscape forming a nebula along the bottom portion and a comparatively clear upper portion. Speckled across both portions is a starfield, showing innumerable stars of many sizes. The smallest of these are small, distant, and faint points of light. The largest of these appear larger, closer, brighter, and more fully resolved with 8-point diffraction spikes. The upper portion of the image is blueish, and has wispy translucent cloud-like streaks rising from the nebula below. The orangish cloudy formation in the bottom half varies in density and ranges from translucent to opaque. The stars vary in color, the majority of which have a blue or orange hue. The cloud-like structure of the nebula contains ridges, peaks, and valleys – an appearance very similar to a mountain range. Three long diffraction spikes from the top right edge of the image suggest the presence of a large star just out of view.

Perseverance Rover

Parker Solar Probe

Juno