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STS-109

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STS-109 Credit: NASA

AKA: Columbia;HSM-3B;HSM-SM3B. Launched: 2002-03-01. Returned: 2002-03-12. Number crew: 7 . Duration: 10.92 days.

STS-109 main engine cutoff came at 1130 UTC with Columbia in a 55 x 574 km x 28.5 deg transfer orbit. The OMS-2 burn at about 1207 UTC raised perigee to about 195 km. There was a problem with a Freon cooling loop on the Orbiter, but it wasn't quite bad enough to affect the mission. The Hubble Space Telescope closed its aperture door on March 2 in preparation for the rendezvous. Columbia got within 100m of HST by 0852 UTC on March 3 and grappled it with the RMS at 0931 UTC. HST was berthed on the FSS in Columbia's payload bay by 1032 UTC.

In the course of five spacewalks, the crew installed new equipment on HST. This was the first flight of Columbia since the launch of Chandra in 1999 following refurbishment. In the first two spacewalks, two new solar arrays were installed, and the two old arrays stowed on the RAC carrier. The RWA-1R reaction wheel assembly on the MULE carrier replaced the faltering RWA-1 in the telescope. The third spacewalk was the most difficult, as HST was entirely powered down while astronauts replaced its power controller unit, not designed for on-orbit replacement. On the fourth spacewalk the astronauts removed the European FOC camera, aboard HST since launch in 1990, and replaced it with the new ACS (Advanced Camera for Surveys). They also installed the CASH wire harness, part of the aft shroud cooling system. On the final spacewalk, the astronauts installed the NCS (NICMOS cooling system) cryocooler in the aft shroud and the associated NCS radiator on the telescope's exterior. The NICMOS infrared camera had been idle since its original thermal control system failed. With the removal of FOC, the COSTAR device (which deployed contact lenses for the original instruments) became obsolete, since the newer instruments made the corrections to the incorrect HST mirror internally. Cargo manifest:

• Middeck:4 EMU spacesuits - 480 kg
• Bay 4: RAC (Rigid Array Carrier) - 2393 kg. The RAC carried the two folded SA-III rigid solar arrays which replaced the SA-II roll-up arrays. It also carried the DBA2 diode box assembly which controlled the arrays, and a wire harness and containers associated with the NICMOS cooling system.
• Bay 7-8: SAC (Second Axial Carrier) - 2517 kg. The SAC was a specially designed pallet that flew on the first two Hubble SM flights, STS-61 and STS-82. On this flight it carried the ACS camera up (and the FOS camera down) as well as the NCS cryocooler, the PCU-R power controller, the CASH wire harness, and the thermal covers used in the PCU replacement.
• Bay 11: FSS (Flight Support System) - 2111 kg. The FSS first flew on STS 41-C (the Solar Max Repair) and was reused for each of the HST SM flights. It carried the BAPS Berthing and Positioning System, which was the docking ring for HST. Stowed on the FSS were a support post for BAPS and a cover for the HST low gain antenna.
• Bay 12: MULE (Multi-Use Lightweight Equipment Carrier) - 1409 kg. The MULE carried the NCS radiator, the NCS electronics support module, and the RWA-1R reaction wheel unit. MULE first flew on STS-48 carrying the UARS satellite, and then on STS-95 carrying the HOST payload which tested out the NCS.
• Sill: RMS arm No 201 - 410 kg

Photo Gallery

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STS-109 Credit: www.spacefacts.de

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• STS-109 Mission Status Report #01 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. With the Hubble Space Telescope orbiting high overhead, the shuttle Columbia lifted off this morning on a complex mission to replace and upgrade key telescope systems through five challenging spacewalks.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #02 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. Following Columbia's on-time launch from the Kennedy Space Center this morning, flight controllers in Mission Control noticed a degraded flow rate in one of two freon cooling loops that help to dissipate heat from the orbiter.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #03 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109.

  The crew of Columbia was awakened for its first full day in space at 8:22 p.m. CST with the song "Blue Telescope" by John Hiatt. In its morning mail, the crew received news that mission managers are optimistic the full mission will go forward as planned in spite of low flow in a shuttle cooling line. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 - Wakeup Song: Blue Telescope - . Flight: STS-109. "Blue Telescope" - John Hiatt.

• STS-109 - . Call Sign: Columbia. Crew: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Payload: Columbia F27. Mass: 115,900 kg (255,500 lb). Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Agency: NASA. Manufacturer: Boeing. Program: STS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Flight: STS-109. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Columbia. Duration: 10.92 days. Decay Date: 2002-03-12 . USAF Sat Cat: 27388 . COSPAR: 2002-010A. Apogee: 578 km (359 mi). Perigee: 486 km (301 mi). Inclination: 28.50 deg. Period: 95.30 min.

  Hubble Servicing Mission 3B. STS-109 main engine cutoff came at 1130 UTC with Columbia in a 55 x 574 km x 28.5 deg transfer orbit. The OMS-2 burn at about 1207 UTC raised perigee to about 195 km. There was a problem with a freon cooling loop on the Orbiter, but it wasn't quite bad enough to affect the mission. The Hubble Space Telescope closed its aperture door on March 2 in preparation for the rendezvous. Columbia got within 100m of HST by 0852 UTC on March 3 and grappled it with the RMS at 0931 UTC. HST was berthed on the FSS in Columbia's payload bay by 1032 UTC.

  In the course of five spacewalks, the crew installed new equipment on HST. This was the first flight of Columbia since the launch of Chandra in 1999 following refurbishment. In the first two spacewalks, two new solar arrays were installed, and the two old arrays stowed on the RAC carrier. The RWA-1R reaction wheel assembly on the MULE carrier replaced the faltering RWA-1 in the telescope. The third spacewalk was the most difficult, as HST was entirely powered down while astronauts replaced its power controller unit, not designed for on-orbit replacement. On the fourth spacewalk the astronauts removed the European FOC camera, aboard HST since launch in 1990, and replaced it with the new ACS (Advanced Camera for Surveys). They also installed the CASH wire harness, part of the aft shroud cooling system. On the final spacewalk, the astronauts installed the NCS (NICMOS cooling system) cryocooler in the aft shround and the associated NCS radiator on the telescope's exterior. The NICMOS infrared camera had been idle since its original thermal control system failed. With the removal of FOC, the COSTAR device (which deployed contact lenses for the original instruments) became obsolete, since the newer instruments made the corrections to the incorrect HST mirror internally. Cargo manifest:

  • Middeck:4 EMU spacesuits - 480 kg
  • Bay 4: RAC (Rigid Array Carrier) - 2393 kg. The RAC carried the two folded SA-III rigid solar arrays which replaced the SA-II roll-up arrays. It calso carried the DBA2 diode box assembly which controlled the arrays, and a wire harness and containers associated with the NICMOS cooling system.
  • Bay 7-8: SAC (Second Axial Carrier) - 2517 kg. The SAC was a specially designed pallet that flew on the first two Hubble SM flights, STS-61 and STS-82. On this flight it carried the ACS camera up (and the FOS camera down) as well as the NCS cryocooler, the PCU-R power controller, the CASH wire harness, and the thermal covers used in the PCU replacement.
  • Bay 11: FSS (Flight Support System) - 2111 kg. The FSS first flew on STS 41-C (the Solar Max Repair) and was reused for each of the HST SM flights. It carried the BAPS Berthing and Positioning System, which was the docking ring for HST. Stowed on the FSS were a support post for BAPS and a cover for the HST low gain antenna.
  • Bay 12: MULE (Multi-Use Lightweight Equipment Carrier) - 1409 kg. The MULE carried the NCS radiator, the NCS electronics support module, and the RWA-1R reaction wheel unit. MULE first flew on STS-48 carrying the UARS satellite, and then on STS-95 carrying the HOST payload which tested out the NCS.
  • Sill: RMS arm No 201 - 410 kg

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #04 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. As Columbia's crew completed preparations today for the capture of the Hubble Space Telescope, mission managers confirmed that a degraded shuttle cooling system will pose no problems for Columbia's flight.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #05 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. To the theme of "Mission Impossible," Columbia's astronauts awakened this morning to the news that all systems are go for their mission, a week characterized as the most challenging flight ever to maintain and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 - Wakeup Song: Theme from Mission: Impossible - . Flight: STS-109. "Theme from Mission: Impossible".

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #07 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109.

  The crew of the space shuttle Columbia awoke for its first spacewalking day in orbit to "Five Variations on Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," performed by Jeno Jando. It was played for John Grunsfeld. Spacewalkers Grunsfeld and Rick Linnehan will step out into space for the first time during this mission at about 12:30 a.m. tomorrow morning. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 - Wakeup Song: Five Variations on Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star - . Flight: STS-109. "Five Variations on Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" performed by Jeno Jando.

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #06 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. The Hubble Space Telescope is secure in Columbia's payload bay following its capture at 3:31 a.m. central time today, as the two spacecraft soared 350 miles above the Pacific Ocean southwest of the Mexican Coast.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #09 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109.

  Rested and ready for another day of spacewalking, the crew of the space shuttle Columbia was awakened at 7:53 p.m. by the children's song "Floating in the Bathtub," by Tonya Evetts Weimer. It was played for Jim Newman who is to step out into space for the second spacewalk of this mission at about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. The Hubble Space Telescope has a new starboard solar array after a seven hour-one minute long spacewalk by Columbia astronauts John Grunsfeld and Rick Linnehan.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 - Wakeup Song: Floating in the Bathtub - . Flight: STS-109. "Floating in the Bathtub" by Tonya Evetts Weimer. It was played for Jim Newman..

• EVA STS-109-1 - . Crew: Grunsfeld, Linnehan. EVA Duration: 0.30 days. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Grunsfeld, Linnehan. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-109. Spacecraft: Discovery, HST. The airlock was depressurized at 0630 and repressurized at 1338 UTC. The astronauts replaced the -V2 solar array with the new rigid array stored in the RAC carrier, and replaced a solar array diode box..

• STS-109 - Wakeup Song: Carmen Ohio - . Flight: STS-109. "Carmen Ohio" performed by the Ohio State University marching band and played for Ohio State alumni Nancy Currie and Rick Linnehan aboard Columbia..

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #11 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. Columbia's crew is preparing tonight for the third space walk of the mission, a complex, seven-hour excursion that will include the unprecedented step of turning off the Hubble Space Telescope to replace the heart of its power system.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #10 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. The crew of Columbia completed the second of five planned spacewalks this morning with the successful installation of a new port solar array and a new Reaction Wheel Assembly (RWA) on the Hubble Space Telescope.. Additional Details: here....

• EVA STS-109-2 - . Crew: Massimino, Newman. EVA Duration: 0.31 days. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-109. Spacecraft: Discovery, HST. Depress was at 0634 on and repress was at 1356 UTC. The astronauts replaced the +V2 solar array and diode box, and replaced the RWA-1 reaction wheel assembly..

• STS-109 - Wakeup Song: Sittin on Top of the World - . Flight: STS-109. "Sittin on Top of the World" Les Paul and Mary Ford..

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #12 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109.

  The Hubble Space Telescope received a new "heart" today during a 6 hour, 48 minute spacewalk by astronauts John Grunsfeld and Rick Linnehan. The two installed a new Power Control Unit (PCU), replacing the original unit launched with the telescope in April 1990. The PCU serves as Hubble's central power switching station by distributing electricity to all systems, scientific instruments and the Nickel Hydrogen batteries. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #13 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. With a new heart beating strong and new power generating arrays ready to convert sunlight into energy, the Hubble Space Telescope is poised for Columbia's astronauts to improve its vision.. Additional Details: here....

• EVA STS-109-3 - . Crew: Grunsfeld, Linnehan. EVA Duration: 0.29 days. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Grunsfeld, Linnehan. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-109. Spacecraft: Columbia, HST. Depress was at 0825 UTC and repress at 1516 UTC. The HST was powered entirely down and astronauts changed out the power control unit..

• STS-109 - Wakeup Song: Mission Impossible: II - . Flight: STS-109. "Mission Impossible: II" theme song, performed by Limp Bizkit..

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #14 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. Following today's successful installation of the new Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on the Hubble Space Telescope, scientists will be able to see farther into our universe and with greater clarity and speed than ever before.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #15 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109.

  The crew of the space shuttle Columbia will give Hubble a way to open one of its slumbering eyes during the fifth and final scheduled spacewalk of this mission. An experimental cooling system will be installed on a camera that has been dormant since 1999 in hopes of bringing it back to life. Additional Details: here....

• EVA STS-109-4 - . Crew: Massimino, Newman. EVA Duration: 0.27 days. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-109. Spacecraft: Discovery, HST. Depress was at 0856 UTC and repress was at 1630 UTC. The Faint Object Camera was removed and the Advanced Camera for Surveys was installed. The CASH (Cross Aft Shroud Harness) wire harness for the cooling system was installed..

• ISS Status Report: ISS 02-13 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Bursch, Onufrienko, Walz. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. Science experiments and robotic arm operations were the focus for Expedition Four Commander Yury Onufrienko and Flight Engineers Dan Bursch and Carl Walz aboard the International Space Station this week.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #16 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109.

  TThe crew of the space shuttle Columbia completed the last of its five ambitious spacewalks this morning with the successful installation of an experimental cooling system for Hubble's Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS). The NICMOS has been dormant since January 1999 when its original coolant ran out. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 - Wakeup Song: Who Made Who - . Flight: STS-109. "Who Made Who" by AC DC. The song was played for pilot Duane Carey..

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #17 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. Columbia's crew is preparing to bid a rejuvenated Hubble Space Telescope farewell following five days of spacewalks that have updated and enhanced the world's greatest observatory.. Additional Details: here....

• EVA STS-109-5 - . Crew: Grunsfeld, Linnehan. EVA Duration: 0.31 days. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Grunsfeld, Linnehan. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-109. Spacecraft: Discovery, HST.

  The EVA ran from 0841 to 1606 UTC. The astronauts installed the NICMOS cooling system (NCS). During preparations for EVA-3, a problem with a valve on Grunsfeld's suit caused it to leak water, and Grunsfeld switched to Newman's suit. For each of EVA-3,4,5 the appropriate size legs and arms were replaced on the same basic HUT (Hard Upper Torso)/PLSS (Primary Life Support System) combination.

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #18 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. "Good luck Mr. Hubble," was the call from on board Columbia this morning as the newly rejuvenated telescope was released from the grasp of the shuttle's robotic arm at 4:04 a.m. central time today.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #19 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Bursch, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman, Onufrienko, Walz. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109.

  After five days of successful spacewalks to rejuvenate the Hubble Space Telescope, the crew of Columbia will enjoy a Sunday off. The crew was awakened at 8:50 p.m. CST Saturday by "Fly Me to the Moon" by Frank Sinatra. The song was played for Commander Scott "Scooter" Altman. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 - Wakeup Song: Fly Me to the Moon - . Flight: STS-109. "Fly Me to the Moon" by Frank Sinatra. The song was played for Commander Scott"Scooter" Altman..

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #21 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. After a day off and a good night's rest, the seven-member crew of Columbia will focus on the end of a mission featuring five successful spacewalks to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 - Wakeup Song: Floating - . Flight: STS-109. "Floating" by the Moody Blues dedicated to first-time fliers, pilot"Digger" and spacewalker Massimino..

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #20 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Bursch, Onufrienko, Walz. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. Leaving behind a better-than-new Hubble Space Telescope, the crew of Columbia had a well-deserved break today after a week spent overhauling and enhancing the orbiting observatory.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #22 - . Nation: USA. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109. Columbia's crew packed up gear today and checked out the equipment needed for the shuttle's return to Earth, finding all systems ready for a landing at the Kennedy Space Center scheduled for 3:32 a.m. CST Tuesday.. Additional Details: here....

• STS-109 - Wakeup Song: Countdown - . Flight: STS-109. "Countdown" -- Rush.

• Landing of STS-109 - . Return Crew: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-109. Columbia deorbit was at 0822 UTC with landing on runway 33 at Kennedy Space Center at 0931 UTC..

• STS-109 Mission Status Report #23 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Altman, Carey, Currie, Grunsfeld, Linnehan, Massimino, Newman, Ross. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-108 ISS EO-4, STS-109.

  The space shuttle Columbia landed at Kennedy Space Center early Tuesday after a 10-day, 22-hour and 10-minute mission to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. Columbia astronauts conducted five successful spacewalks during their STS-109 mission to improve the orbiting observatory. Additional Details: here....