STS-109

STS-109
NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration · Public domain · source
Mission name	STS-109
Launch date	March 1, 2002
Launch site	Kennedy Space Center, LC-39A
Landing date	March 12, 2002
Landing site	Kennedy Space Center, Shuttle Landing Facility
Mission duration	10 days, 22 hours, 11 minutes
Spacecraft	Space Shuttle Columbia
Orbit altitude	486 kilometers
Orbit inclination	28.5 degrees

STS-109. This mission was the fourth Space Shuttle servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope and the final successful flight of Space Shuttle Columbia prior to its loss the following year. Launched in March 2002, the crew successfully upgraded the orbiting observatory with new, advanced scientific instruments and power systems. The flight was a critical part of the Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions program, significantly enhancing the telescope's capabilities for future astronomical discovery.

Mission overview

STS-109 was launched on March 1, 2002, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The primary payload was the array of new components destined for installation on the Hubble Space Telescope, which was orbiting at an altitude of approximately 486 kilometers. The mission was managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in coordination with the Johnson Space Center and the Space Telescope Science Institute. Key objectives included replacing the solar arrays, installing a new scientific instrument, and performing other critical maintenance during a series of complex spacewalks.

Crew

The flight was commanded by Scott D. Altman, a veteran naval aviator and astronaut, with Duane G. Carey serving as the pilot. The mission specialists, who conducted the spacewalks, were John M. Grunsfeld, Richard M. Linnehan, James H. Newman, and Michael J. Massimino. Nancy J. Currie served as the flight engineer and primary Remote Manipulator System operator, responsible for the intricate robotic arm operations required to capture and berth Hubble. All crew members were experienced NASA astronauts with backgrounds in science, engineering, and military aviation.

Mission highlights

After achieving orbit, the crew began preparations for rendezvous with the Hubble Space Telescope, successfully capturing it using the shuttle's robotic arm on the third day of the mission. The flight featured five consecutive days of spacewalks, a record for a shuttle mission at the time, to complete all planned upgrades. Highlights included the installation of the new Advanced Camera for Surveys, which would go on to produce many of Hubble's most iconic deep-field images, and the replacement of the telescope's Power Control Unit. The mission concluded with the successful redeployment of Hubble and a smooth landing back at the Kennedy Space Center.

Hubble Space Telescope servicing

The servicing work performed during this mission was extensive and transformative. The crew installed the Advanced Camera for Surveys, a powerful new instrument that greatly widened Hubble's field of view and sensitivity. They also replaced the outdated Faint Object Camera with the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) Cooling System, reviving that instrument. Furthermore, the mission swapped out the original solar arrays with new, more efficient ones provided by the European Space Agency, and installed a new Power Control Unit to ensure stable electrical distribution for the observatory's future operations.

Spacewalks

All five spacewalks (EVAs) were conducted from the Space Shuttle Columbia's payload bay. * **EVA 1 (Grunsfeld & Linnehan)**: Installed the new starboard solar array. * **EVA 2 (Newman & Massimino)**: Installed the port solar array and performed preparatory work. * **EVA 3 (Grunsfeld & Linnehan)**: Replaced the Power Control Unit, a critical and risky task requiring the telescope to be powered down. * **EVA 4 (Newman & Massimino)**: Installed the Advanced Camera for Surveys, replacing the Faint Object Camera. * **EVA 5 (Grunsfeld & Linnehan)**: Installed the NICMOS Cooling System and completed final outfitting tasks. Each EVA lasted between 6 and 8 hours.

See also

* Space Shuttle program * Hubble Space Telescope * STS-103 * STS-61 * STS-125 * Space Shuttle Columbia disaster

Category:Space Shuttle missions Category:Hubble Space Telescope