On Flight Day 4 of
STS-125, or EVA
Day 1, the astronauts installed two
of the items I have been working on for this mission. They
are
WFC3 (Wide Field Camera III), and the SIC&DH (Science Data
Computer).
Image from high resolution camera shot from the cabin. In
this
image, you see two of the
nine items I have flying on Hubble. In the middle is WFC3, and on the radiator on
the
right is the ARUBA box.
The installation of
WFPC3 was a
harrowing experience. There was a problem with the removal of
the
old instrument. For an account see this
on my personal mission log.
Successful removal of WFPC2 after problems encountered.
Closeup of the ARUBA box, which was installed during the previous
mission. See here
for how
it looked then. I did not expect to see it in the same
image as WFC3, and it was a wonderful surprise.
I was unable to find a better image than this, but this is the
C&DH installed in space. The other item I worked on
that was installed during EVA Day 1.
View of the astronaut installing the SIC&DH into Bay 10 of the
Space Telescope.
The sun is behind the Telescope causing a bright halo of light around
him.
At Mission Control, I met Joe
Tanner,
who is also a Hubble astronaut.
Drew Fuestel posing next to the BSA, another item I assisted with
during its design and test.
Front view of the BSA (Bit Sync Assembly) operational in space.
I was one of the original developers of the Telemetry
Module, and it
flew
as part of the Relative Navigation System. This image was
shot by that system upon approach to HST.
Members of the RNS team. From left to right: Sophia Sachel,
Ross
Henry,
Ray Bietry, Jeff Surber, Dave Petrick, Bo Naasz, Will Clement,
Sai Chiang, Robin Ripley and me.
Frame grab of the helmet camera video when the crew is removing the
circuit board to repair ACS. I worked on part of the new
electronics
that replaced these boards.
The first image from the ACS camera. It looks lousy
because it is just a reference image, but it speaks
volumes of the camera's functionality.
At the end of the final space walk day, the wifes of two of the
astronaut crew served us a special Hubble cake. On the left
is
Nanette Faget-Johnson (wife of Ray Jay, the pilot), and Carol Grunsfeld
(wife of John Grunsfeld).
Here is the cake that was baked for us. It is
Hubble! Note
the wafer solar
arrays.
Another tradition is the control room photo with the people of that
shift.
Click here for full size.
Another celebration afterwards in the Payload Operations Control Center
(POCC).
Frank Cepollina (Cepi) is speaking here.
It was a tremendously successful mission, and I will miss working on
Hubble.