STS-82 Day 8 Highlights

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On Tuesday, February 18, 1997, 6:30 a.m. CST, STS-82 MCC Status Report # 15 reports:

Early this morning, astronauts Mark Lee and Steve Smith completed a 5 hour, 17 minute spacewalk - the fifth spacewalk conducted over the past five days - to complete the servicing and refurbishment of the Hubble Space Telescope.

During their final excursion in Discovery's cargo bay, Lee and Smith attached several thermal insulation blankets to three equipment compartments at the top of the Support Systems Module section of Hubble which contain key data processing, electronics and scientific instrument telemetry packages. Following the completion of that work, Lee and Smith briefly returned to the airlock while flight controllers evaluated a possible glitch with one of four Reaction Wheel Assembly units in Hubble used to maneuver the telescope for its scientific observations. After determining that further analysis of the Reaction Wheel Assembly would be required, the astronauts were directed to close out their spacewalk and reentered the airlock for the final time at 2:32 A.M. Central time. A spare Reaction Wheel Assembly was available aboard Discovery for a swapout during an additional spacewalk had it been necessary, but a few hours later, after further analysis, payload controllers reported that the Reaction Wheel Assembly was in excellent shape and operating at the proper speed.

With all of the servicing tasks complete, Commander Ken Bowersox and Pilot Scott Horowitz fired small maneuvering jets on Discovery to complete the reboost of the Hubble Space Telescope, raising its orbit an additional three nautical miles. Hubble will be redeployed early tomorrow morning at 12:41 A.M. Central time at an altitude of about 335 by 321 nautical miles, an increase of about 8 nautical miles from the point at which it was retrieved last week.

In all, a total of 33 hours and 11 minutes were logged during the five spacewalks to service and refurbish Hubble, about two hours shy of the time recorded during the five spacewalks for the first servicing mission more than three years ago.

The crew will begin an extended nine hour sleep period at 8:25 a.m. this morning. After they are awakened at 5:25 p.m. this afternoon, the astronauts will begin preparations for the deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope by robot arm operator Steve Hawley, who will release the astronomical observatory for the start of the calibration of its newly installed instruments and the resumption of scientific operations in a few weeks.

On Tuesday, February 18, 1997, 6:30 p.m. CST, STS-82 MCC Status Report # 16 reports:

With an array of new instruments installed, the Hubble Space Telescope is ready to continue its 15-year mission to look deeply into the universe, once it is released from Space Shuttle Discovery later tonight.

Astronaut Steve Hawley will use the robot arm to once again grapple the telescope and lift it from its work platform. While it is still on the robot arm, controllers at the Goddard Space Flight Center will send commands to open the large aperture door at the end of the telescope. Hawley then will send the telescope back to work, releasing it at about 12:41 a.m. CST in a 335 by 321 nautical mile orbit. After the telescope is released, Commander Ken Bowersox will move Discovery slowly away from the observatory, being careful not to disturb the delicate solar arrays.

Hubble goes back to work with two new science instruments, updated guidance systems, a state of the art recorder and several new patches of thermal insulation. In all, 33 hours and 11 minutes were logged during the five spacewalks to service and refurbish Hubble. Calibration of the newly installed instruments and the resumption of scientific operations will begin over the next few weeks.

The crew began its ninth day of the mission to the wake-up music,."That Thing You Do," by the Wonders. Discovery's systems are still operating in excellent condition as it orbits the Earth every 90 minutes.

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