STS-61

STS-61
source
Mission name	STS-61
Spacecraft	Space Shuttle Endeavour
Launch pad	Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39B
Launch date	December 2, 1993
Landing date	December 13, 1993
Landing site	Kennedy Space Center

STS-61 was the first servicing mission for the Hubble Space Telescope and marked a significant milestone in the NASA Space Shuttle program. The mission was crewed by astronauts from NASA, including Richard Covey, Kenneth Bowersox, Story Musgrave, Kathryn Thornton, Claude Nicollier, and Jeffrey Hoffman, who were launched aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39B. The mission was a critical step in the Hubble Space Telescope program, which was a collaborative effort between NASA, the European Space Agency, and other international partners, including the Space Telescope Science Institute and the European Astronaut Centre.

Mission Overview

The primary objective of the mission was to service the Hubble Space Telescope, which had been launched in 1990 by the Space Shuttle Discovery during STS-31. The Hubble Space Telescope had been experiencing problems with its primary mirror, which had been manufactured by Perkin-Elmer and Corning Incorporated, and the mission aimed to correct this issue. The crew of STS-61 worked closely with NASA engineers and scientists from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Goddard Space Flight Center, and the European Space Agency to ensure the success of the mission. The mission also included a range of other scientific experiments, including the Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet instrument, which was developed by NASA and the University of Southern California.

Crew

The crew of STS-61 consisted of six astronauts, including Richard Covey, the mission commander, and Kenneth Bowersox, the pilot. The crew also included four mission specialists: Story Musgrave, Kathryn Thornton, Claude Nicollier, and Jeffrey Hoffman. Story Musgrave was a veteran astronaut who had previously flown on STS-33, STS-44, and STS-80, while Kathryn Thornton had flown on STS-33 and STS-49. Claude Nicollier was an astronaut from the European Space Agency who had previously flown on STS-46 and STS-75, and Jeffrey Hoffman had flown on STS-51-D and STS-35. The crew worked closely with NASA engineers and scientists from the Johnson Space Center, the Marshall Space Flight Center, and the European Astronaut Centre to prepare for the mission.

Mission Objectives

The primary objective of the mission was to service the Hubble Space Telescope and correct the problems with its primary mirror. The crew replaced the High-Speed Photometer with the Costar instrument, which was developed by NASA and the Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. They also replaced the Wide Field and Planetary Camera with the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2, which was developed by NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The crew also installed new solar arrays and a magnetometer, which were developed by NASA and the Lockheed Martin. The mission included a range of other scientific experiments, including the Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet instrument and the Millimeter Wave Anisotropy Experiment, which was developed by NASA and the University of California, Berkeley.

Mission Timeline

The mission began on December 2, 1993, when the Space Shuttle Endeavour was launched from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39B. The crew spent the first few days in orbit conducting checks on the Space Shuttle Endeavour and preparing for the servicing mission. On December 4, the crew captured the Hubble Space Telescope using the Remote Manipulator System, which was developed by NASA and the Canadian Space Agency. Over the next few days, the crew conducted a series of spacewalks to service the Hubble Space Telescope. The mission ended on December 13, 1993, when the Space Shuttle Endeavour landed at Kennedy Space Center.

Spacewalks

The crew of STS-61 conducted a total of five spacewalks during the mission, which were performed by Story Musgrave and Jeffrey Hoffman, and Kathryn Thornton and Claude Nicollier. The spacewalks were used to service the Hubble Space Telescope and install new instruments and equipment. The first spacewalk was conducted on December 5, and lasted for 7 hours and 54 minutes. The second spacewalk was conducted on December 6, and lasted for 6 hours and 36 minutes. The third spacewalk was conducted on December 7, and lasted for 6 hours and 47 minutes. The fourth spacewalk was conducted on December 8, and lasted for 6 hours and 50 minutes. The fifth and final spacewalk was conducted on December 9, and lasted for 7 hours and 21 minutes. The spacewalks were supported by NASA engineers and scientists from the Johnson Space Center, the Marshall Space Flight Center, and the European Astronaut Centre.