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material for Flight Day 3 -
GRAPPLING HUBBLE
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Johnson Space Center
Space News :: Latest Items
 Sunday
| Mar. 3, 2002 - 1:00 pm EST
Following a goodnight call from Mission Control, Columbia's
crew began a scheduled eight-hour sleep period just before
noon.
They will awaken about 8 p.m. to prepare for the first of
five scheduled spacewalks for this mission. John Grunsfeld
and Rick Linnehan will perform the spacewalk which is slated
to begin at 12:30 a.m. Monday, but could begin up to one hour
early.
During the planned 6 1/2 hour excursion, Grunsfeld and Linnehan
will install the first of two new-generation solar panels
on the telescope. The new panels are smaller than the current
solar arrays but will generate increased power for the orbiting
observatory.
Goddard
Space Flight Center
The Hubble Space Telescope Project
Hubble Status Report
 Sunday
| Mar. 3, 2002 - 10:53 am EST
The flight of STS-109/SM3B passed important milestones today
with the successful rendezvous and grapple of the Hubble Space
Telescope, and the retraction of both wings of Solar Array
2 (SA2).
Installed on the telescope in December 1993, SA2 performed
magnificently in the last 8+ years, notwithstanding a decline
in power output due to aging which had been expected. SA2
presented no problems in today's retraction.
The astronauts will remove the rolled-up SA2 wings in the
first two spacewalks, or EVAs, which begin early in the morning
(Eastern time) Monday and Tuesday . The replacement arrays,
SA3, are 30% smaller in area, but deliver approximately 23%
more power than SA2 does now, and 8% more than SA2 did when
it was new.
Increased power is important to the Hubble Space Telescope
at this time in its mission because the new scientific instruments
and equipment being installed in SM3B and SM4 (in 2004) will
draw more power than the instruments they replace.
SA3 consists of solid panels, unlike the "window shade" design
of SA2, and it represents a very important "science enabling"
upgrade to the Hubble Space Telescope. The mission is nominal
at this point.
Johnson
Space Center
Space News :: Latest Items
 Sunday
| Mar. 3, 2002 - 9:59 am EST
The Hubble Space Telescope remains nestled in Columbia's payload
bay. At 3:31 a.m. central time today, as the two vehicles
flew over the Pacific Ocean off the Mexican coast, Mission
Specialist Nancy Currie gently maneuvered the shuttle's robotic
arm into position to capture the telescope.
Shortly after 7 a.m. central time, the crew and ground controllers
at the Goddard Space Flight Center, began the lengthy process
of retracting the telescope's two large solar arrays. The
retractions occurred flawlessly and were performed during
periods of orbital sunlight to ensure the arrays were sufficiently
warm during the retraction process.
The solar arrays will be removed during two spacewalks dedicated
to installing new, more powerful arrays on the telescope.
The old solar arrays will be stowed in Columbia's payload
bay for the return trip to Earth. CLICK
HERE FOR MORE IMAGES...
Sunday | Mar. 3, 2002 - 5:34 am EST
After a successful rendezvous and capture, Columbia astronauts
latched the Hubble Space Telescope to the orbiter's Flight
Support System at 4:33 a.m. CST Sunday. Five STS-109 spacewalks
will upgrade and service the orbiting observatory. CLICK
HERE FOR VIDEO OF CAPTURE...
 Sunday
| Mar. 3, 2002 - 4:37 am EST
Using Columbia's robotic arm, Astronaut Nancy Currie successfully
grappled the Hubble Space Telescope at 3:31 a.m. CST Sunday.
The two spacecraft were about 362 statute miles above the
Pacific Ocean, southwest of the Mexican coast.
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