Wed, Apr 22, 2009
The Space Shuttle Program’s Flight Readiness Review
concluded Tuesday, setting the stage for the executive-level review
at the Kennedy Space Center, which begins April 30. Following the
final review, a firm launch date for the STS-125 mission to service
the Hubble Space Telescope will be set. Launch is currently
targeted for May 12 at 1:31 p.m. EDT.
Veteran astronaut Scott Altman will command the final space
shuttle mission to service NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, and
retired Navy Capt. Gregory C. Johnson will serve as pilot. Mission
specialists rounding out the crew are: veteran spacewalkers John
Grunsfeld and Mike Massimino, and first-time space fliers Andrew
Feustel, Michael Good and Megan McArthur.
During the 11-day mission's five spacewalks, astronauts will
install two new instruments, repair two inactive ones and perform
the component replacements that will keep the telescope functioning
into at least 2014.
In addition to the originally scheduled work, Atlantis also will
carry a replacement Science Instrument Command and Data Handling
Unit for Hubble. Astronauts will install the unit on the telescope,
removing the one that stopped working on Sept. 27, 2008, delaying
the servicing mission until the replacement was ready.
At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the STS-125
astronauts continue to train for the upcoming mission. Tuesday,
Mission Specialists Mike Massimino and Michael Good rehearsed
inside the tank at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab for the mission's
fourth spacewalk.
At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the rotating service
structure at Launch Pad 39A surrounds space shuttle Atlantis, where
payload operations continue throughout the week. With Atlantis'
payload bay doors now open, technicians are loading the hardware
necessary for the servicing mission.
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