Conference 7.286::space

                  SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
                      Tuesday, July 6, 1993

Mitch Varnes
Kennedy Space Center
Public Information Office


 
                           STS-61

Vehicle:  OV-105/Endeavour                     Mission: STS-61
Location: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1    Crew size: 7
Mission: Hubble Space Telescope repair         Inclination:  28.5

Targeted launch: December 1993                 Duration: 11 days
Prime Landing Site: KSC

Endeavour is now inside OPF bay 1 undergoing deservicing from the STS-57
flight.  The ship's onboard fuels were offloaded late last weekend.  The
payload bay doors were opened Today, and the EURECA spacecraft and SPACEHAB
module are scheduled to be removed on Friday, July 9.  Post STS-57 inspections
of Endeavour show the orbiter to be in excellent condition following the 10-day
flight.

        KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
                      Monday, July 12, 1993

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham


 
            MISSION: STS-61  Hubble Space Telescope
                             Repair Mission


VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
MISSION DURATION: 11 days             CREW SIZE: 7
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Early December 1993


IN WORK TODAY:
*  Waste containment system servicing
*  Cycle payload bay door bulkhead latches
*  Auxiliary power unit lube oil deservicing
*  KU-band checks
*  TACAN system tests
*  Main engine inspections

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Remove heatshields
*  Remove main engines

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Post flight hypergolic propellant deservicing operations
*  Ammonia boiler checks
*  Removed SPACEHAB and EURECA payloads

        KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
                     Tuesday, July 13, 1993

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham

 
             MISSION: STS-61  Hubble Space Telescope Repair Mission

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
MISSION DURATION: 11 days             CREW SIZE: 7
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Early December 1993


IN WORK TODAY:
*  Payload bay deconfiguration
*  Tunnel adapter removal
*  Remove heatshields
*  Auxiliary power unit lube oil deservicing
*  KU-band checks
*  TACAN system tests
*  Main engine inspections

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Remove main engines

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Waste containment system servicing
*  Cycle payload bay door bulkhead latches
*  Post flight hypergolic propellant deservicing operations
*  Ammonia boiler checks
*  Removed SPACEHAB and EURECA payloads

From:	US1RMC::"[email protected]" "Henry Spencer" 18-JUL-1993 23:03:14.86
To:	[email protected]
CC:	
Subj:	Space news from May 24 AW&ST

The cover story is the Hubble servicing mission.

Outside review panel finds that the Bush administration overestimated
Pentagon budget savings for FY94-97 by $12-15G... a lot less than some
had feared.  The gap includes $1-2G for the Titan 4 launcher.

Rep. George Brown, with others on the Science/Space/Technology Committee
of the House, offers a bill requiring NASA to stick close to current
space-station plans, budgeting $1.9G/yr through 1999 for construction
and $1.3G/yr thereafter for operations -- more than Clinton's target,
less than current plans.  Brown predicts that an attempt at drastic
redesign will die in Congress.

NASA advisory panel notes that Hubble would have had even more in-orbit
failures if its launch had not slipped from 1986 to 1990 as a result of
Challenger.  The delay permitted additional testing that found a number
of problems.  However, there is evidence that things "fell through the
cracks" when responsibility for Hubble moved from Marshall to Goddard
after launch; for example, there has been no attempt to track performance
of other satellites with similar subsystems.

House hearing reveals tentative terms for Russian entry into the commercial
launch market... accompanied by warnings to Europe that more international
competition is desirable.  The Russians will be allowed to contract for
up to eight Clarke-orbit satellite launches through the end of 2000,
with launches into other orbits handled on a case-by-case basis.  Terms
and pricing will be "similar to" those of comparable Western services;
special consultations will be triggered by any Russian bid more than
7.5% less than Western ones.  Russia will not contract for more than
two launches in any 12-month period.  The recent Inmarsat contract is
exempt from all this, as are up to three Iridium launches.

Lockheed (which markets Proton in the West) says it is reasonably pleased
with the terms, for now, and expects to fill the quotas easily.

The US's ultimate objective remains "rules of the road" agreements with
all commercial launch suppliers, but although Europe had expressed interest
in the idea, they did not participate in the talks with the Russians.
The US claims that the Europeans want access to the US-government market
as a condition of such an agreement, and are reluctant to allow the
Russians in at all.  The US position is that the Russians are coming :-)
and the Europeans should accept part of the pain that will cause.

Major story on preparations for the Hubble repair.  The review panel
says the mission is "achievable", but the workload, tight schedule, and
management complexity introduce a high risk of problems.  Hubble is
generally quite well designed for in-orbit repair; "the problem is the
failure rate".  The EVA time has grown 25% during the panel's review,
and growth is continuing.  Five spacewalks are planned during an 11-day
mission, with two more available for Hubble contingencies in addition
to the usual spare for shuttle problems.  NASA is considering adding
another repair mission next year, although the final decision will
not be made until after "end to end" mission simulations in October.
The review panel recommends shelving plans for service calls every
3-4 years, and instead pencilling in more frequent service opportunities
to be used as needed.

The latest Hubble headache is that one of the fine-guidance sensors is
acting up.  It is not (yet) on the list of things to be dealt with in
the repair mission; tests have verified that the problem is not severe
and workarounds are feasible.

NASA actually sees restoring Hubble to full function as only the second
goal of the mission; the more important goal is demonstrating that such
major in-space servicing will work.  If something goes badly wrong, long-
term plans for the space station in particular are in trouble, not to
mention long-term plans for Hubble.

The major jobs, in order of priority:

- Install ESA's new solar arrays, meant to eliminate the flapping that
occurs during day-night transitions.  Software changes have worked around
the attitude disturbances, but there are concerns that continued flexing
might cause the arrays to fail.

- Install new rate-sensing gyros to replace the three failed ones.  Hubble
is running on the remaining three, and one more failure will halt science
operations until workaround software is installed and tested.

- Install WFPC2, the new general-purpose camera, which has better detectors
and corrective optics for the mirror flaw.

- Replace the high-speed photometer with COSTAR, the optics assembly that
will correct the mirror problem for the remaining instruments.

- Replace the magnetometers.  One is ailing and expected to fail soon, the
other is suspect.  These are the only high-priority items not built for
in-orbit replacement.

Secondary jobs are:

- Replace the solar-array drive electronics.  The main ones failed recently,
and Hubble is running on the backups.

- Fix the memory failure that took one of the two general-purpose computers
out of service.  The preferred method is to add a new "coprocessor" board
using a test slot, although Endeavour will carry a complete spare computer
just in case.

- Cross-connect electronics within the high-resolution spectrometer to
work around a troublesome power supply.

There is no single item on the work list that is particularly difficult;
the sheer numbers are the main problem.  Planning is complicated by the
need to pack jobs into 6-8-hour EVAs, to rearrange the schedule if things
go more or less quickly than expected, and to leave time to "back out"
a procedure if it hits problems, so that Hubble will not be left in worse
shape than it started in.  Because of this, the highest priorities won't
necessarily be done first.  The current thinking is:

Day 3:	Rendezvous with Hubble.
Day 4:	Three gyros and preparations for solar arrays.
Day 5:	Solar arrays.
Day 6:	WFPC2 and possibly the magnetometers.
Day 7:	COSTAR and the coprocessor.
Day 8:	Solar-array electronics and spectrometer repair.
Day 9:	Hubble redeployment.
Day 10:	Spare.

Hubble managers say they will be satisfied -- and will not request a
second repair flight in the near future -- if the crew does the solar
arrays, WFPC2, COSTAR, two gyros, and one magnetometer.  However, if
things go well and there is extra time, they want to make sure the
hardware and plans are in position to get more done.  Provisions are
being made for 3-man EVAs, although there are no specific plans for any.

The review panel notes that "EVA planning, training, and scheduling
is occurring very late in mission preparation", and warns that division
of responsibilities between Goddard, Johnson, and Marshall complicates
the management structure badly.  It does applaud Goldin's appointment
of a single mission director reporting directly to NASA HQ.

Currently there are 10-15 days of slack in the schedule for the target
launch date of Dec 2.

COSTAR's development has hit minor snags.  Vibration testing found a
problem:  parts of the hardware rubbed against each other, producing
graphite-epoxy particles that contaminated 7 of its 10 mirrors.  The
mirrors have been cleaned, and the design of one of the mirror arms
modified slightly to keep it clear of the graphite-epoxy structure.
Nobody is too happy about the problem, but it was easily solved, and
COSTAR's alignment remained within spec despite it.  Quite elaborate
testing is being done, by a team separate from the alignment team,
using various pieces of hardware including a Hubble-aberration
simulator that has been analyzed separately by NASA, ESA, and Ball
(the COSTAR contractor).
-- 
Altruism is a fine motive, but if you   | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
want results, greed works much better.  |  [email protected]  utzoo!henry

        KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
                       Monday, July 26, 1993

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham

 
              MISSION: STS-61  Hubble Space Telescope
                               Repair Mission

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
MISSION DURATION: 11 days             CREW SIZE: 7
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Early December 1993

IN WORK TODAY:
*  5th cryogenic tank set installation preparations

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Install 5th cryogenic tank set
*  Orbital maneuvering system functional tests

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Remove main engines
*  Demate of KU-band antenna

	The crew list for the HST mission is as follows:

	STS 61	- Endeavour (5) December 2 1993 
		- Commander: Dick Covey (4)
		- Pilot: Ken Bowersox (2)
		- PC/MS1: Story Musgrave (5)
		- FE/MS2: Tom Akers (3)
		- MS3: Jeffrey Hoffman (4)
		- MS4: Kathryn Thornton (3)
		- MS5: Claude Nicollier (2) (ESA)


	A veteran crew with 16 spaceflights between them. As well Akers,
	Hoffman, Musgrave and Thornton have spacewalk experience.

	Susan

        KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
                     Tuesday, July 27, 1993

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham

 
             MISSION: STS-61  Hubble Space Telescope
                      Repair Mission

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
MISSION DURATION: 11 days             CREW SIZE: 7
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Early December 1993

IN WORK TODAY:
*  5th cryogenic tank set installation preparations
*  Orbital maneuvering system functional checks

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Install 5th cryogenic tank set

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Humidity separator functional checks
*  Main propulsion system inspections
*  Remove main engines
*  Demate of KU-band antenna

        KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
                     Wednesday, July 28, 1993

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham

 
              MISSION: STS-61  Hubble Space Telescope
                                 Servicing Mission

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
MISSION DURATION: 11 days             CREW SIZE: 7
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Early December 1993

IN WORK TODAY:
*  5th cryogenic tank set installation preparations
*  Orbital maneuvering system functional checks
*  Ammonia system leak and functional checks
*  Payload integration tests

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Install 5th cryogenic tank set

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Humidity separator functional checks
*  Main propulsion system inspections

        KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
                     Thursday, July 29, 1993

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham

 
             MISSION: STS-61  Hubble Space Telescope
                        Servicing Mission

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
MISSION DURATION: 11 days             CREW SIZE: 7
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Early December 1993

IN WORK TODAY:
*  5th cryogenic tank set installation preparations
*  Orbital maneuvering system functional checks
*  Ammonia system leak and functional checks
*  Payload integration tests

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Install 5th cryogenic tank set
*  Main propulsion system leak and functional checks

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Lower main and nose landing gear

        KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
                      Tuesday, August 3, 1993

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham

 
            MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
                                SERVICING MISSION

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
MISSION DURATION: 11 days             CREW SIZE: 7
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Early December 1993
LANDING LOCATION: KSC

IN WORK TODAY:
*  5th cryogenic tank set installation
*  Orbital maneuvering system functional checks
*  Payload integration operations
*  Radiator functional checks

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Main propulsion system leak and functional checks

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Landing gear wheel and tire assembly installation

                 KSC SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT 
                        8/5/93
-----------------------------------------------------------------
 
            MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
                                SERVICING MISSION

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
MISSION DURATION: 11 days             CREW SIZE: 7
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Early December 1993
LANDING LOCATION: KSC

IN WORK TODAY:
*  Orbital maneuvering system functional checks
*  Main propulsion system leak and functional checks
*  Payload integration operations

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Orbiter hydraulic system checkouts

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Radar frequency and power checks
*  Removal and installation of drag chute hardware
*  5th cryogenic tank set installation
 

         KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
                       Monday, August 16, 1993

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham


 
            MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
                                SERVICING MISSION


VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Early December  CREW SIZE: 7
MISSION DURATION: 11 days
LANDING LOCATION: KSC

IN WORK TODAY:
*  5th cryogenic tank set installation
*  Main propulsion system leak and functional checks
*  Payload integration operations
*  Re-open payload bay doors
*  Ammonia boiler checks

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Master events controller checks

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Orbital maneuvering system functional checks
*  Close payload doors
*  Ku-band antenna tests

        KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
                    Wednesday, August 18, 1993

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham

 
            MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
                                SERVICING MISSION


VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Early December  CREW SIZE: 7
MISSION DURATION: 11 days
LANDING LOCATION: KSC

IN WORK TODAY:
*  5th cryogenic tank set installation
*  Main propulsion system leak and functional checks
*  Payload integration operations
*  Water spray boiler functional test
*  Freon coolant loop functional test

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Install forward reaction control system on orbiter

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Master events controller/pyrotechnic initiator controller checks
*  Re-open payload bay doors
*  Ammonia boiler checks
*  Orbital maneuvering system functional checks


 

         KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
                       Monday, August 23, 1993

KSC Contact: Mitch Varnes

 
                    MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
                                SERVICING MISSION


VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Early December  CREW SIZE: 7
MISSION DURATION: 11 days
LANDING LOCATION: KSC

IN WORK TODAY:
*  5th cryogenic tank set installation
*  Payload integration operations

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Master events controller checks
*  Electrical connection of Auxiliary Power Unit #3

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Checkouts of water spray boilers
*  Leak and functional checks of hydrogen side of main propulsion system

         KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
                      Tuesday, August 24, 1993

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham

 
            MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
                                SERVICING MISSION


VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Early December  CREW SIZE: 7
MISSION DURATION: 11 days
LANDING LOCATION: KSC

IN WORK TODAY:
*  5th cryogenic tank set installation
*  Auxiliary power unit number three leak and functional checks
*  Thruster feedline repair operations
*  Water spray boiler checkout and service
*  Deservice freon coolant loop number 1
*  Main propulsion system leak and functional checks
*  Install drag chute

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Install forward reaction control system on orbiter
*  Star tracker door functional test
*  Orbiter/external tank umbilical door functional test

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Install auxiliary power unit number three
*  Payload integration operations

Sarah Keegan                                   August 19, 1993
NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.

George Diller
Kennedy Space Center, Florida

Jim Elliott
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

KSC Release No. 103-93


     Flight hardware which will fly aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour for use
on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) first servicing mission has begun arriving
at the Kennedy Space Center. The Wide Field/Planetary Camera II (WFPC II)
arrived today at Hangar AE, a NASA Spacecraft Checkout Facility on Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station.

     During the next two weeks 17 trucks will be transferring the flight
hardware for HST servicing and associated support hardware from NASA's Goddard
Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. to the Kennedy Space Center. The
instruments have been in a clean room at Goddard for the last several months
undergoing integration and testing.

     In addition to WFPC II, other primary components arriving over the next
two weeks include the Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement
(COSTAR), two solar panels, the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph redundancy
kit, rate gyro sensor and electronic control units and two magnetometers.


     The Space Support Equipment (SSE) arrived at KSC by barge Aug. 11 and is
now in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility being prepared for launch.  The
units of the SSE include the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier which is a
Spacelab maintenance and repair pallet dedicated to HST activities; the Solar
Array Carrier which will hold the replacement solar panels, and the Flight
Support Structure which will hold and orient the 43-foot-long, 14-foot diameter
HST during its repair by the astronauts.  Some of the SSE will house the
delicate Hubble corrective optics inside Endeavour's payload bay during the
mission.

     Mission STS-61 is a planned 11-day flight with seven crew members
featuring five spacewalks and is entirely dedicated to the servicing of the
Hubble Space Telescope.

         KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
                     Wednesday, August 25, 1993

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham

 
            MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
                                SERVICING MISSION


VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Early December  CREW SIZE: 7
MISSION DURATION: 11 days
LANDING LOCATION: KSC

IN WORK TODAY:
*  5th cryogenic tank set installation
*  Install drag chute
*  Thruster feedline repair operations
*  Auxiliary power unit number three leak and functional checks
*  Deservice freon coolant loop number 1
*  Water spray boiler checkout and service
*  Main propulsion system leak and functional checks

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Orbiter/external tank umbilical door functional test
*  Star tracker door functional test

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Payload integration operations
*  Install auxiliary power unit number three

 

         KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
                     Thursday, August 26, 1993

 
            MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
                                SERVICING MISSION


VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Early December  CREW SIZE: 7
MISSION DURATION: 11 days
LANDING LOCATION: KSC

IN WORK TODAY:
*  5th cryogenic tank set installation
*  Thruster feedline installation and mechanical fitting
   operations
*  Auxiliary power unit number three leak and functional checks
*  Freon coolant loop pump package inspections
*  Water spray boiler checkout and service
*  Main propulsion system leak and functional checks
*  Move forward reaction control system to OPF

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Orbiter/external tank umbilical door functional test
*  Star tracker door functional test
*  Install forward reaction control system on orbiter

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Install drag chute
*  Deservice freon coolant loop number 1
*  Payload integration operations
*  Install auxiliary power unit number three
   

         KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
                        Monday, August 30, 1993

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham

 
            MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
                                SERVICING MISSION


VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Early December  CREW SIZE: 7
MISSION DURATION: 11 days
LANDING LOCATION: KSC

IN WORK TODAY:
*  5th cryogenic tank set leak checks
*  Thruster feedline mechanical fitting checks
*  Ammonia boiler checks
*  Freon coolant loop operations
*  Orbiter vent door functional checks
*  Forward reaction control system electrical connections and
   interface verifications

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Orbiter/external tank umbilical door functional test
*  Star tracker door functional test

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Auxiliary power unit number three leak and functional checks
*  Freon coolant loop pump package inspections
*  Water spray boiler checkout and service
*  Main propulsion system leak and functional checks
*  Move forward reaction control system to OPF
*  Install forward reaction control system on orbiter
*  5th cryogenic tank set installation

 

                     KSC SHUTTLE STATUS 9-3-93

 
            MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
                                SERVICING MISSION


VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Early December  CREW SIZE: 7
MISSION DURATION: 11 days
LANDING LOCATION: KSC

IN WORK TODAY:
*  Cryogenic tank set pressurization and leak checks
*  Freon coolant loop deservice operations
*  Auxiliary power unit installation and tests

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Crew module leak tests

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Flood light installation
*  Thruster feedline mechanical fitting checks
*  Orbiter/external tank umbilical door functional test
*  Star tracker door functional test
*  Ammonia boiler checks
*  Orbiter vent door functional checks
*  Forward reaction control system electrical connections,
   interface verifications and trickle purge initiation
*  Window number 5 installation

 

                   KSC SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT 9/7/93

 
            MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
                                SERVICING MISSION


VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Early December  CREW SIZE: 7
MISSION DURATION: 11 days
LANDING LOCATION: KSC

IN WORK TODAY:
*  Cryogenic tank set pressurization and leak checks
*  Auxiliary power unit installation and tests
*  Orbiter aft closeout operations
*  Begin stacking of solid rocket boosters in Vehicle Assembly
   Building high bay 1

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Crew module leak tests

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Freon coolant loop deservice operations

                  KSC SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT 9/8/93

 
            MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
                                SERVICING MISSION


VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Early December  CREW SIZE: 7
MISSION DURATION: 11 days
LANDING LOCATION: KSC

IN WORK TODAY:
*  Cryogenic tank set pressurization and leak checks
*  Freon coolant loop pump package installation and operational
   checks
*  Replace payload bay flood lights
*  Ammonia boiler pallet checks
*  Crew module leak tests
*  Orbiter aft closeout operations
*  Stacking of solid rocket boosters in Vehicle Assembly Building
   high bay 1

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Auxiliary power unit x-rays

         KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
                     Monday, September 13, 1993

 
            MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
                                SERVICING MISSION

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Early December  CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/11 minutes
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours
LANDING LOCATION: KSC

IN WORK TODAY:
*  Cryogenic tank set pressurization and leak checks
*  Freon coolant loop pump package installation and operational
   checks
*  Orbiter aft closeout operations
*  Stacking of solid rocket boosters in Vehicle Assembly Building
   high bay 1

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Install window number 5
*  Install auxiliary power unit number 1

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Replace payload bay flood lights
*  Ammonia boiler installation and pallet checks
*  Crew module hatch and functional tests

         KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
                    Tuesday, September 14, 1993          

 
            MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
                                SERVICING MISSION

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Early December  CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/11 minutes
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours
LANDING LOCATION: KSC


IN WORK TODAY:
*  Cryogenic tank set pressurization and leak checks
*  Main propulsion leak and functional checks
*  Freon coolant loop pump operational checks
*  Install auxiliary power unit number 1
*  Ammonia boiler servicing operations
*  Install window number 5
*  Orbiter aft closeout operations
*  Stacking of solid rocket boosters in Vehicle Assembly Building
   high bay 1

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Payload bay door functional checks
*  Orbital maneuvering system electrical circuit verifications

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Replace mid-port floodlight in payload bay
*  Ammonia boiler installation and pallet checks
*  Crew module hatch and functional tests
  

         KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
                     Monday, September 20, 1993

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham


 
       MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Early December  CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/11 minutes
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours
LANDING LOCATION: KSC


IN WORK TODAY:
*  Install chin panel
*  Service freon coolant loop
*  Payload bay closeouts
*  Main propulsion leak and functional checks
*  Install auxiliary power units 1 and 2
*  Ammonia boiler servicing operations
*  Orbiter aft closeout operations
*  Stacking of solid rocket boosters in Vehicle Assembly Building high bay 1

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Payload bay door functional checks
*  Orbital maneuvering system electrical circuit verifications

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Install window number 5
*  Install and check out payload bay flood lights

        KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
                    Friday, September 24, 1993

 
       MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Early December  CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/11 minutes
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours
LANDING LOCATION: KSC

IN WORK TODAY:
*  Remote manipulator arm checks
*  Payload bay closeouts
*  Ammonia boiler servicing operations
*  Preparations for auxiliary power unit connections
*  Orbiter aft closeout operations
*  Power reactant storage and distribution system tests
*  Stacking of solid rocket boosters in Vehicle Assembly Building
   high bay 1

WORK SCHEDULED NEXT WEEK:
*  Payload bay door functional checks
*  Auxiliary power unit hazardous connections
*  Landing gear functional tests
*  Payload electrical circuits end-to-end test
*  Install main engines
*  Inertial measurement unit functional tests and calibrations

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Install chin panel
*  Waste containment system checks

 

      KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT

                   Monday, September 27, 1993

 
       MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Early December  CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/11 minutes
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours
LANDING LOCATION: KSC

IN WORK TODAY:
*  Remote manipulator arm checks
*  Payload bay closeouts
*  Ammonia boiler servicing operations
*  Preparations for auxiliary power unit connections
*  Orbiter aft closeout operations
*  Stacking of solid rocket boosters in Vehicle Assembly Building
   high bay 1

WORK SCHEDULED THIS WEEK:
*  Payload bay door functional checks
*  Auxiliary power unit hazardous connections
*  Landing gear functional tests
*  Payload electrical circuits end-to-end test
*  Install main engines
*  Inertial measurement unit functional tests and calibrations

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Install chin panel
*  Waste containment system checks
*  Power Reactant and Storage Distribution checkouts

 

                         Payload Status Report
                     STS-61 Hubble Space Telescope
                         First Servicing Mission

                           September 27, 1993


George H. Diller
Kennedy Space Center



     Flight hardware integration activities for the upcoming
revisit to the Hubble Space Telescope have been underway in the
Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC and are
nearing completion.

     The replacement solar arrays, the latest flight element,
arrived at KSC on September 10.  During the second week of
September the three primary replacement flight elements, which
include these twin solar arrays as well as the Corrective Optics
Space Telescope Axial Replacement (COSTAR) and the Wide Field
Planetary Camera II (WFPC II), were installed in protective
enclosures on their respective payload carriers.

     Closeout activities in preparation for moving the flight
hardware to the Vertical Processing Facility (VPF) began late
last week and are concluding today.  The payload canister has
arrived at the PHSF atop its transporter in preparation for
moving the three flight elements to the VPF.

     The current schedule calls for the flight support structure,
which holds the telescope during on-orbit operations, to be
installed into the payload canister on Tuesday.  This will be
followed by the solar array carrier and the orbital replacement
unit carrier holding WFPC II and COSTAR on Wednesday.  On
Thursday the payload canister is to be rotated from the
horizontal to vertical position and on Friday will arrive at the
VPF to be installed in the east test cell.

     The three payload elements will undergo routine testing in
the VPF during October to verify compatibility and readiness to
be integrated with Space Shuttle Endeavour.  In addition,
end-to-end testing to verify all communications systems and
communications links is planned.

     The flight hardware is scheduled to go the pad on Oct. 28.
 

        KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
                  Thursday, September 30, 1993

 
       MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Early December  CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/11 minutes
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours
LANDING LOCATION: KSC

IN WORK TODAY:
*  Ammonia boiler servicing operations
*  Power reactant storage and distribution system tests
*  Preparations for installing main engines
*  Potable water servicing
*  Freon coolant loop flush and service checks
*  Final auxiliary power unit controller tests
*  Stacking of solid rocket boosters in Vehicle Assembly Building
   high bay 1


WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Main engine installation (Friday)
*  Main engine electrical verifications and main propulsion
   system integrated testing
*  Landing gear functional tests
*  Payload electrical circuits end-to-end test
*  Crew equipment interface tests and checks (astronauts to
   arrive this weekend for checks on Sunday)

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Payload bay door functional checks
*  Inertial measurement unit functional tests and calibrations

 

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
Monday, October 4, 1993

KSC Contact: Mitch Varnes


 
       MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING



VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Early December  CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/11 minutes
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours
LANDING LOCATION: KSC

IN WORK TODAY:

*  Potable water servicing
*  Securing of main engines
*  Closeouts of orbiter's forward compartment
*  Purging of gaseous nitrogen lines

WORK SCHEDULED:

*  Leak checks of main engines
*  Checkouts of orbiter's closed circuit television

WORK COMPLETED:

*  Three main engines installed over weekend
*  Orbiter's freon system flushed





 

 _______________________________________________________________
|                                                               |
|        KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT       |
|                     Tuesday, October 5, 1993                  |
|_______________________________________________________________|

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham
        _________________________________________________
       |                                                 |
 
       MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING  |
    |_______________________________________________________|

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Early December  CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/11 minutes
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours    LANDING LOCATION: KSC

IN WORK TODAY:
*  Main engine securing operations and integrated testing
*  Power reactant storage and distribution system tests
*  Potable water servicing
*  Orbiter mid-body closeouts
*  Stacking of solid rocket boosters in Vehicle Assembly Building
   high bay 1

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Main engine electrical verifications and main propulsion
   system integrated testing
*  Landing gear functional tests
*  Payload electrical circuits end-to-end test

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Main engine installation
*  Final auxiliary power unit controller tests
*  Freon coolant loop flush and service checks
*  Crew equipment interface tests and checks with STS-61 crew

   __________________________________________________________
  |                                                          |
 

                                                                 
         KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT        
                     Thursday, October 7, 1993                   
 _______________________________________________________________ 

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham
                                                          
 
       MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING   

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Nov./Dec.       CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/11 minutes
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours    LANDING LOCATION: KSC

IN WORK TODAY:
*  Main engine integrated testing, heatshield installation and
   electrical verifications
*  Power reactant storage and distribution system tests
*  Auxiliary power unit tests
*  Potable water servicing and filter checks
*  Orbiter mid-body closeouts


WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Landing gear functional tests
*  Payload electrical circuits end-to-end test
*  Open payload doors
*  Frequency response test

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Final stowage of flight tools
*  Mate external tank to solid rocket boosters in Vehicle
   Assembly Building high bay 1

 

         KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT        
                       Friday, October 8, 1993                   

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham       407-867-2468 (fax 867-2692)
                                                          
 
       MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING   

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Nov./Dec.       CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/11 minutes
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours    LANDING LOCATION: KSC

IN WORK TODAY:
*  Main engine integrated testing, heatshield installation and
   electrical verifications
*  Potable water servicing and filter checks
*  Landing gear functional tests
*  Orbiter mid-body closeouts
*  Preparations for frequency response test
*  Cycle payload doors
*  Payload integrated verification tests


WORK SCHEDULED NEXT WEEK:
*  Payload electrical circuits end-to-end test (Saturday)
*  Frequency response test and flight control final cycling
*  Standard payload bay cleaning and close payload bay doors
   prior to roll to Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB)
*  Orbiter aft engine compartment closeouts prior to roll to VAB
*  Forward compartment and forward reaction control system
   structural leak checks
*  Potable water system leak and functional tests

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Power reactant storage and distribution system tests
*  Auxiliary power unit tests
*  Mechanical and electrical connections attaching external tank
   to the solid rocket boosters
                                                              
 

STS-61 Payload Status Report
HST First Servicing Mission

October 7, 1993


George H. Diller
Kennedy Space Center

     Testing using the Cargo Integrated Test Equipment (CITE) at KSC begins
Friday in the Vertical Processing Facility. First is the Interface Verification
Test (IVT).  This is an electrical test to verify the readiness and
compatibility of the HST systems to be integrated with the Space Shuttle
Endeavour and to be commanded as necessary from the flight deck.

     Undergoing test is the complete electrical path and associated circuitry.
Connected are the flight support structure, the orbit replaceable unit carrier,
and Endeavour's flight deck.  From the flight deck the astronauts can command
and power and various latches and heater circuits as well as monitor telemetry
from HST while it is attached to the flight support structure.  The test will
last four to eight hours.

     To follow on Saturday will be the end-to-end test which will verify the
ability of the Johnson Space Center in Houston to monitor and communicate with
the HST elements via the NASA communications network.  This consists of the
MILA tracking station at KSC connected by satellite to the communications
switching and distribution facilities at the Goddard Space Flight Center in
Greenbelt, Md. where the signals are forwarded to Houston. This communications
test is scheduled to last about eight hours.

     The HST flight hardware arrived at the Vertical Processing Facility on
Wednesday and were installed in the east test cell.  On Friday the solar array
drive electronics are to be installed.

     The Wide Field Planetary Camera (WFPC II) was delivered to Spacecraft
Hangar AE early on Sunday, a highly clean spacecraft checkout facility used for
WFPC's final assembly and initial checkout upon arrival at the Cape.


     NASA managers have decided to conduct a test to revalidate the focal point
of WFPC II optical parameters at Spacecraft Hangar AE next week.  The test
procedure and parameters are currently being developed.  Performance of the
test will not affect payload readiness to meet the STS-61 launch date.  Neither
the WFPC II or the corrective optics called Corrective Optics Space Telescope
Axial Replacement (COSTAR) are required for CITE testing.

     The WFPC II will be returned to the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility
(PHSF) upon completion of testing where it will rejoin the other flight
elements before going to the launch pad at the end of October.
 

 _______________________________________________________________
                                                                 
         KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT        
                     Tuesday, October 19, 1993                   
 _______________________________________________________________ 

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham
                                                          
 
       MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING   

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Nov./Dec.       CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/11 minutes
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours    LANDING LOCATION: KSC

IN WORK TODAY:
*  Retract main and nose landing gears
*  Aft structural leak checks

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Orbiter jackdown, weight and center of gravity checks
*  Orbiter mate to orbiter transport system (OTS)
*  Rollover to Vehicle Assembly Building (mid-day Thursday)
*  Mate orbiter to external tank
*  Rollout to pad 39-A (Oct. 28)

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Standard payload bay cleaning and close payload bay doors
*  Orbiter aft engine compartment closeouts prior to roll to VAB
*  Frequency response test and flight control final cycling
*  Landing gear functional tests

                                                              
 

                                                               
        KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT       
                  Wednesday, October 20, 1993                  

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham
                                                        
 
      MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING  

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: OPF bay 1                   INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH PERIOD: Nov./Dec.       CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/11 minutes
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours    LANDING LOCATION: KSC

IN WORK TODAY:
*  Landing gear final tire pressure top off
*  Retract main and nose landing gears
*  Orbiter jackdown, weight and center of gravity checks
*  Orbiter mate to orbiter transport system (OTS)

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Rollover to Vehicle Assembly Building (noon Thursday)
*  Mate orbiter to external tank
*  Rollout to pad 39-A (Oct. 28)

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Aft structural leak checks
*  Orbiter compartment positive pressure tests
*  Airlock pressure checks and leak tests

                                                            
 

                                                                 
         KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT        
                    Thursday, October 21, 1993                   
 _______________________________________________________________ 

 
       MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING   
     _______________________________________________________ 

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105             ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: VAB transfer aisle          INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH DATE: December 1        CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/11 minutes
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours    LANDING LOCATION: KSC

IN WORK TODAY:
*  Demate from orbiter transport system (OTS)
*  Preparations to lift orbiter for mate with external tank

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Orbiter lift and mate to external tank
*  Interface verification checks
*  Shuttle interface test
*  Rollout to pad 39-A (Oct. 28)

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Orbiter rollover to Vehicle Assembly Building (1st motion
   occurred at about 10:35 a.m. today)
*  Orbiter mate to OTS
*  Landing gear final tire pressure top off
*  Retract main and nose landing gears
*  Final tile inspections
*  Orbiter jackdown, weight and center of gravity checks
                                                              
 

                                                                 
         KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT        
                      Monday, October 25, 1993                   
 _______________________________________________________________ 

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham

 
       MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING   

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105           ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: VAB high bay 1            INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH DATE: December 1      CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH TIME: 4:57 a.m. EST          LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/11 min.
LANDING LOCATION: KSC
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours/36 min.

IN WORK TODAY:
*  Shuttle interface verification test
*  Orbiter/external tank electrical closeouts

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Move payload to pad and place in payload changeout room
*  Rollout to pad 39-A (Oct. 28)

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Orbiter/external tank mechanical and electrical mates
*  Demate from orbiter transport system (OTS)
*  Orbiter lift and mate to external tank
                                                              
 

         KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT        
                     Tuesday, October 26, 1993                   
 _______________________________________________________________ 

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham

 
       MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING   
     _______________________________________________________ 

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105          ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: VAB high bay 1           INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH DATE: December 1     CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH TIME: 4:57 a.m. EST         LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/11 min.
LANDING LOCATION: KSC
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours/36 min.
EXPECTED LANDING DATE/TIME: Dec. 12 / 3:33 a.m. EST

IN WORK TODAY:
*  Shuttle interface verification test
*  Orbiter/external tank electrical closeouts
*  Place payload in payload changeout room at pad

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Rollout to pad 39-A (Oct. 28)
*  Launch pad validations with hot fire of auxiliary power units

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Transport payload to pad
*  Orbiter/external tank mechanical mates
*  Orbiter lift and mate to external tank

   __________________________________________________________
                                                              
 

         KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT        
                   Wednesday, October 27, 1993                   
 _______________________________________________________________ 

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham

 
       MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING   
     _______________________________________________________ 

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105          ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: VAB high bay 1           INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH DATE: December 1     CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH TIME: 4:57 a.m. EST         LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/11 min.
LANDING LOCATION: KSC
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours/36 min.
EXPECTED LANDING DATE/TIME: Dec. 12 / 3:33 a.m. EST

IN WORK TODAY:
*  Preparations for roll to pad 39-A
*  Orbiter/external tank electrical closeouts
*  Transfer payload to payload changeout room at pad A

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Rollout to pad 39-A (First motion set for 4 a.m. Oct. 28)
*  Launch pad validations with hot fire of auxiliary power units
*  Place rotating service structure around orbiter (Friday)

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Shuttle interface verification test
*  Manual shuttle vehicle power down. (Next power up at pad)

                                                              
 

RE Reboost of Hubble

> VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105          ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles

  I seem to recall that Hubble's starting altitude was something like 360 Miles
MSL. From this it appears that it is now at about 356. A reboost of 4 miles
should be within the range of the OMS boosters. 

  George

         KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT        
                     Monday, November 1, 1993                    
 _______________________________________________________________ 

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham

 
       MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING   
     _______________________________________________________ 

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105          ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: Pad 39-A                 INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH DATE: December 1     CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH TIME: 4:57 a.m. EST         LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/11 min.
LANDING LOCATION: KSC
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours/36 min.
EXPECTED LANDING DATE/TIME: Dec. 12 / 3:33 a.m. EST

IN WORK TODAY:
*  Final payload bay/payload changeout room cleaning prior to
   payload installation into orbiter
*  Preparations for helium signature test
*  Preparations for hypergolic reactant loading onto vehicle

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Install primary payloads into payload bay
*  Payload interface verification checks and end-to-end tests
*  Helium signature test
*  Terminal countdown demonstration test (crew arrival Wednesday,
   T-0 Friday)

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Place rotating service structure around orbiter
*  Launch pad validations and pad/shuttle interface checks
*  Open payload bay doors
*  Install IMAX camera and ICBC payloads into orbiter


 

RE              <<< Note 857.42 by PRAGMA::GRIFFIN "Dave Griffin" >>>
>                   -< KSC Shuttle Status Report - 11/01/93 >-

    :
    :
    :
LOCATION: Pad 39-A                 INCLINATION: 28 degrees
    :
    :
    :

    Uh thanks George. I guess I overlooked the important info, in my
    efforts in practicing my speed-reading skills.
    
    Bob-who-feels-silly-now :-)

         KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT        
                   Wednesday, November 3, 1993                   
 _______________________________________________________________ 

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham

 
       MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING   
     _______________________________________________________ 

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105          ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: Pad 39-A                 INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH DATE: December 1     CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH TIME: 4:57 a.m. EST         LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/11 min.
LANDING LOCATION: KSC
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours/36 min.
EXPECTED LANDING DATE/TIME: Dec. 12 / 3:33 a.m. EST

NOTE: In light of the contamination at pad 39-A's payload change-out room
(PCR), the decision has been made to remove the HST payload from pad 39-A's PCR
and return it to the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) for further
cleanliness inspections.  Current projections indicate the payload will
remain at the PHSF for about 10 days.

     Tonight, the payload canister will be transported to the pad and on Friday
the move to the PHSF will occur.  For this, the rotating service structure will
be retracted this afternoon and remain in the park position throughout the
terminal countdown demonstration test (TCDT).

     Also, managers are currently working to preserve options to launch STS-61
from either pad.  A decision is expected by the end of the week.  There has
been no impact to the targeted launch date.

IN WORK TODAY:
*  Payload changeout room cleaning and inspections
*  Secure aft engine compartment and install aft doors
*  Retract rotating service structure from around orbiter
*  Preparations to return primary HST payload to PHSF

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Return payload to PHSF for cleanliness inspections
*  Terminal countdown demonstration test (T-0 11 a.m. Friday)
*  Preparations for hypergolic reactant loading onto vehicle

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Helium signature test
*  Close payload bay doors


 

         KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT        
                    Thursday, November 4, 1993                   
 _______________________________________________________________ 

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham

 
       MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING   
     _______________________________________________________ 

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105          ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: Pad 39-A                 INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH DATE: December 1     CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH TIME: 4:57 a.m. EST         LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/11 min.
LANDING LOCATION: KSC
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours/36 min.
EXPECTED LANDING DATE/TIME: Dec. 12 / 3:33 a.m. EST

NOTE: No decision has been made yet as to which pad mission STS-
61 will be launched from. The concern is over sandblast grit
found in pad 39-A's payload changeout room (PCR). Because of the
potential for contamination, the HST payloads will be removed
from the PCR and returned to the Payload Hazardous Servicing
Facility (PHSF) for further cleanliness inspections. Also, the
PCR at pad A will be cleaned and the PCR's at both pads re-
inspected.

     The payload transport canister was delivered to pad A last
night and operations to install the payloads into the canister is
in work today. Early tomorrow morning the canister will leave the
pad and be transported to the PHSF.

     Managers are still working to preserve options to launch
STS-61 from either pad. A decision is expected by the end of the
week.

IN WORK TODAY:
*  Terminal countdown demonstration test (T-0 11 a.m. Friday)
*  Payload changeout room cleaning and inspections
*  Install primary HST payloads into transport canister
*  Preparations to return payloads to PHSF

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Return payload to PHSF for cleanliness inspections
*  Preparations for hypergolic reactant loading onto vehicle

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Retract rotating service structure from around orbiter
*  Secure aft engine compartment and install aft doors


 

         KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT        
                      Monday, November 8, 1993                   
 _______________________________________________________________ 
KSC Contact: Mitch Varnes
                                                             
 
       MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING   
     _______________________________________________________ 

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105          ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: Pad 39-A                 INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH DATE: December 1     CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH TIME: 4:57 a.m. EST         LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/11 min.
LANDING LOCATION: KSC
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours/36 min.
EXPECTED LANDING DATE/TIME: Dec. 12 / 3:33 a.m. EST

NOTE: Managers decided Friday to move the Space Shuttle Endeavour
and the HST service mission from pad 39-A to pad 39-B. Contamina-
tion found in pad A's payload changeout room (PCR) as a result of
last weekend's high winds demonstrated additional measures were
required to insure protection for the HST instruments. Managers
are certain that the required recertification of the pad A PCR is
achievable, however, the normal vehicle processing activities may
conflict with the recertification schedule. Some standard post-
launch work at pad B remains to be accomplished, including recer-
tification of the PCR. Additionally, the pad B PCR will be
modified to enhance the integrity of the facility. This work in-
cludes modifying and sealing the ceiling for added protection.

     The Endeavour vehicle will remain at pad A and continue its
routine processing activities, including hypergolic propellant
loading, until pad B is ready to accept the vehicle. This deci-
sion allows the pad B PCR activities to proceed in parallel with
the Shuttle processing on pad A, thus providing the best oppor-
tunity for meeting the target launch date.


     Endeavour may be moved to pad B as early as this Friday,
with no impact expected to a target launch date of December 1.


IN WORK TODAY:

*  Pad B payload changeout room cleaning and inspections
*  Cleaning of pad B in preparation for Shuttle vehicle
*  Preparations for hypergolic reactant loading onto vehicle

WORK SCHEDULED THIS WEEK:
*  Load hypergolic fuels on board orbiter beginning late after
   noon on Tuesday
*  Move vehicle to pad B
*  Replacement of protective cover on HST payloads

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Terminal countdown demonstration test (T-0 11 a.m. Friday)
*  Install primary HST payloads into transport canister and
   depart pad for the PHSF
                                                              
 

                                                                 
         KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT        
                     Tuesday, November 9, 1993                   
 _______________________________________________________________ 
KSC Contact: Mitch Varnes
                                                             
 
       MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING   
     _______________________________________________________ 

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105          ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: Pad 39-A                 INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH DATE: December 1     CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH TIME: 4:57 a.m. EST         LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/11 min.
LANDING LOCATION: KSC
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours/36 min.
EXPECTED LANDING DATE/TIME: Dec. 12 / 3:33 a.m. EST

NOTE: Managers decided last Friday to move the Shuttle Endeavour
and the HST service mission from pad 39-A to pad 39-B. Contamina-
tion found in pad A's payload changeout room (PCR) as a result of
last weekend's high winds demonstrated additional measures were
required to insure protection for the HST instruments. Managers
are certain that the required recertification of the pad A PCR is
achievable, however, the normal vehicle processing activities may
conflict with the recertification schedule. Some standard post-
launch work at pad B remains to be accomplished, including recer-
tification of the PCR. Additionally, the pad B PCR will be
modified to enhance the integrity of the facility. This work in-
cludes modifying and sealing the ceiling for added protection.

     The Endeavour vehicle will remain at pad A and continue its
routine processing activities, including hypergolic propellant
loading, until pad B is ready to accept the vehicle. This deci-
sion allows the pad B PCR activities to proceed in parallel with
the Shuttle processing on pad A, thus providing the best oppor-
tunity for meeting the target launch date.


     Endeavour may be moved to pad B as early as this Monday,
with no impact expected to a target launch date of December 1.


IN WORK TODAY:

*  Pad B payload changeout room cleaning and inspections
*  Cleaning of pad B in preparation for Shuttle vehicle
*  Preparations for hypergolic reactant loading onto vehicle
*  Loading of hypergolic reactant fuels to begin late today

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Inspections of engine fuel pumps
*  Move vehicle to pad B as early as Monday
*  Replacement of protective cover on HST payloads
*  Payloads to be transported to pad B on Monday

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Terminal countdown demonstration test (T-0 11 a.m. Friday)
*  Foaming of Solid Rocket Boosters' aft skirt trailing edges
                                                              
 

FWIW, NASA appears to have been running simulations of the rendezvous and
grappling of HST using their alternate satellite feed. It looked like a 
training exercise for the ground controllers.

gary

A hypertext version of the STS-61 press kit is available from the WWW
Space Archives at:

  http://www-space.lkg.dec.com/space-archives.html


This is a rather primitive start, but it should build up pretty quickly.

Feedback on this service is welcome (mail will do nicely).

- dave

p.s.  The plain old paper/postscript version should be ready by 15-Nov.

The STS-61 press kit (early version, no graphics, etc.) is available from:

   pragma::public:[nasa]sts-61.ps   (18 pages)

It is also available as an option in the hypertext version from the
www-space archives.

- dave

                                                                 
         KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT        
                     Monday, November 15, 1993                   
 _______________________________________________________________ 

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham

 
       MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING   
     _______________________________________________________ 

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105          ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: En route to Pad 39-B     INCLINATION: 28 degrees
TARGET LAUNCH DATE: December 1     CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH TIME: 4:57 a.m. EST         LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/7 min.
LANDING LOCATION: KSC
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours
EXPECTED KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Dec. 12/2:42 a.m. EST

NOTE: Work is in progress today to move the Space Shuttle En-
deavour and the HST service mission from pad 39-A to pad 39-B.
Contamination found in pad A's payload changeout room (PCR) as a
result of high winds in late October demonstrated additional
measures were required to insure protection for the HST instru-
ments. No impact to a target launch date of December 1 is an-
ticipated. The firm launch date will be set at the Flight Readi-
ness Review scheduled for this Wednesday. The HST payloads will
be transported to pad B tonight. They will be installed into the
PCR at pad B tomorrow.

IN WORK TODAY:
*  Roll around of Shuttle Endeavour from pad A to pad B (First
   motion occurred at about 12 noon. Vehicle expected hard down
   at 6 p.m.)
*  Launch pad B validations

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Oxidizer side helium signature test
*  Transport payload canister to pad (tonight) and lift into PCR
   (tomorrow morning)
*  Open orbiter payload bay doors and install payload
*  Flight Readiness Review (Wednesday)

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Pre-roll preparations
*  Retract rotating service structure from around vehicle
   (rotation occurred at about 9 a.m. today)
*  Transport primary HST payloads from the Payload Hazardous
   Servicing Facility to the canister rotation facility for
   rotation to vertical
*  Pad B PCR cleaning and inspections
*  Fuel side of vehicle helium signature test
*  Load hypergolic fuels on board orbiter
*  Remove and replace auxiliary power unit number 2 controller
   and three of Endeavour's Multiplexer/Demultiplexers
*  Solid rocket booster hydraulic circulation and sample

 

                                                                 
         KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT        
                   Thursday, November 18, 1993                   
 _______________________________________________________________ 

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham
                                                             
 
       MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING   
     _______________________________________________________ 

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105          ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: Pad 39-B                 INCLINATION: 28.45 degrees
LAUNCH DATE: December 1            CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH TIME: 4:57 a.m. EST         LANDING LOCATIONS: KSC
LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/7 min.
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours
EXPECTED KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Dec. 12/2:42 a.m. EST

NOTE: Following yesterday's Flight Readiness Review held at Ken-
nedy Space Center, mission managers selected December 1 as the
firm launch date for Endeavour and mission STS-61. The window on
December 1 extends from 4:57 - 6:04 a.m. EST.

IN WORK TODAY:
*  Main engine flight readiness test
*  Main propulsion system aerosurface cycles
*  Retest of multiplexer/demultiplexers
*  Final payload bay cleaning
*  Solid rocket booster hydraulic closeouts
*  Auxiliary power unit #2 controller tests
*  Stowage and checkouts of spacesuits in orbiter airlock

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Remove payload covers prior to installation of payload into
   orbiter payload bay
*  Aft orbiter closeouts
*  Ordnance installation
*  HST payload interface verification and end-to-end tests

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Flight Readiness Review
*  Extend rotating service structure
*  Orbiter midbody umbilical unit mate and leak checks
*  Open orbiter payload bay doors
*  Inertial measurement unit calibrations
*  Launch pad B validations
*  Install payloads into pad B's Payload Changeout Room (PCR)

                                                              
 

_______________________________________________________________
                                                               
        KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT       
                  Tuesday, November 23, 1993                   
_______________________________________________________________

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham
                                                           
 
      MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING  
    _______________________________________________________

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105          ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: Pad 39-B                 INCLINATION: 28.45 degrees
LAUNCH DATE: December 1            CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH TIME: 4:57 a.m. EST         LANDING LOCATIONS: KSC
LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/7 minutes
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours
EXPECTED KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Dec. 12/2:42 a.m. EST


IN WORK TODAY:
*  Final checkouts and retest of spacesuits in orbiter airlock
*  Launch countdown preparations
*  Orbiter main engine aft compartment closeouts
*  Closeouts of solid rocket boosters
*  HST end-to-end test (tonight)

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Payload closeouts and close payload bay doors for flight
*  External tank purges
*  Mass memory unit loads
*  STS-61 crew arrival set for 11 a.m. EST Saturday, November 27
*  Countdown to begin at 9 a.m. EST Sunday, November 28

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Pressurize hypergolic fuels system
*  Ordnance installation

                                                            
 

                                                                 
         KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT        
                  Wednesday, November 24, 1993                   
 _______________________________________________________________ 

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham       407-867-2468 (fax 867-2692)

                                                             
 
       MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING   
     _______________________________________________________ 

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105          ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: Pad 39-B                 INCLINATION: 28.45 degrees
LAUNCH DATE: December 1            CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH TIME: 4:57 a.m. EST         LANDING LOCATIONS: KSC
LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/7 minutes
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours
EXPECTED KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Dec. 12/2:42 a.m. EST

NOTE: The next KSC Shuttle status will be issued Sunday, November 28 at 
      the beginning of the countdown. 

IN WORK TODAY:
*  Launch countdown preparations
*  Orbiter main engine aft compartment closeouts
*  Mass memory unit loads
*  External tank purges
*  Payload closeouts removal of payload support equipment
*  Preparations to power down the vehicle for Thanksgiving Holidays

WORK SCHEDULED:
*  Close payload bay doors for flight
*  STS-61 crew arrival set for 11 a.m. EST Saturday, November 27
*  Countdown to begin at 9 a.m. EST Sunday, November 28

WORK COMPLETED:
*  Final checkouts and retest of spacesuits in orbiter airlock
*  Airlock closed out for flight
*  HST end-to-end test

                                                              
 

The hypertext version of the press kit now has a couple images/diagrams
of WF/PC-II, plus a link to the fact sheet.    More stuff later.

- dave

 _______________________________________________________________
                                                                 
         KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT        
                     Monday, November 29, 1993                   
 _______________________________________________________________ 

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham       407-867-2468 (fax 867-2692)
                                                             
 
       MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING   
                        LAUNCH MINUS 2 DAYS                  
     _______________________________________________________ 

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105          ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: Pad 39-B                 INCLINATION: 28.45 degrees
LAUNCH DATE: December 1            CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH TIME: 4:57 a.m. EST         LANDING LOCATION: KSC
LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/7 minutes
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours
EXPECTED KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Dec. 12/2:42 a.m. EST

NOTE: The countdown for Endeavour's launch continues as planned and 
without problem this morning. (The Atlas 2 launch occurred as scheduled 
last night from Cape Canaveral and range operations will be allowed 
sufficient turnaround time to support mission STS-61 on Dec. 1.) 

Yesterday, the payload bay doors were closed at about 3:20 p.m. Today, 
the pad will be closed for most of the morning for the loading of the 
onboard cryogenic tanks with the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen 
reactants. These reactants provide electricity to the orbiter while in 
space and drinking water for the crew. The pad was closed to all 
personnel at about 5 a.m. and cryogenic flow began about 6 a.m. The 
process will last for about 6 hours. Following this operation the orbiter 
mid-body umbilical unit will be demated, orbiter communications 
activation will start and final vehicle and facility closeouts will 
begin. 

Tomorrow, preparations will be made to retract the rotating service 
structure to launch position at about 9 a.m. Tanking is scheduled to 
begin at about 8 p.m. Tuesday. 

Forecasters indicate a 40 percent probability of weather prohibiting 
launch. The primary concerns are low cloud ceilings below 8,000 feet, 
showers and the threat of crosswind violations at the Shuttle Landing 
Facility. The winds at the pad are expected to be from the northeast at 
12 - 18 knots; temperature 65 degrees F; visibility 7 miles; and clouds 
scattered to broken at about 7,000 feet. The 24-hour-delay forecast 
reveals a similar forecast and likewise lists a 40 percent chance of 
violation. 

The seven-member astronaut crew for this mission arrived at KSC's Shuttle 
Landing Facility Saturday at about 11 a.m. Today they will be involved 
with checking out their mission plans and fit checks of their equipment. 
They are scheduled for some free time this morning and will be ready for 
sleep at about 12 noon. They will be awakened again at about 8 p.m. 
today. 

     _______________________________________________________
                                                             
            SUMMARY OF HOLDS AND HOLD TIMES FOR STS-61       
     _______________________________________________________ 


T-TIME ------- LENGTH OF HOLD ---- HOLD BEGINS ---- HOLD ENDS 

T-27 hours --- 4 hours ----------- 1 am Mon.------- 5 am Mon.
T-19 hours --- 4 hours ----------- 1 pm Mon.------- 5 pm Mon.
T-11 hours --- 13 hrs.,37 mins. -- 1 am Tues.------ 2:37 pm Tues.
T-6 hours ---- 1 hour ------------ 7:37 pm Tues.--- 8:37 pm Tues.
T-3 hours ---- 2 hours ---------- 11:37 pm Tues.--- 1:37 am Wed.
T-20 minutes - 10 minutes -------- 4:17 am Wed.---- 4:27 am Wed.
T-9 minutes -- 10 minutes -------- 4:38 am Wed.---- 4:48 am Wed.

            ________________________________________
                                                     
                   CREW FOR MISSION FOR STS-61       
            ________________________________________ 


Commander (CDR): Dick Covey
Pilot (PLT): Ken Bowersox
Mission Specialist (MS1): Kathy Thornton (EVA3)
Mission Specialist (MS2): Claude Nicollier
Mission Specialist (MS3): Jeff Hoffman (EVA1)
Mission Specialist (MS4): Story Musgrave (EVA2)
Mission Specialist (MS5): Tom Akers (EVA4)

       __________________________________________________
                                                          
          SUMMARY OF STS-61 LAUNCH DAY CREW ACTIVITIES    
       __________________________________________________ 

Tuesday, Nov. 30, 1993

9:30 p.m.      Wake up
11:00 p.m.     Breakfast
11:30 p.m.     Free Time

Wednesday Dec. 1, 1993

12:32 a.m.     Weather briefing (CDR, PLT, MS2)
12:32 a.m.     Don flight equipment (MS1, MS3, MS4, MS5)
12:42 a.m.     Don flight equipment (CDR, PLT, MS2)
1:12 a.m.      Depart for launch pad 39-B
1:42 a.m.      Arrive at white room and begin ingress
2:57 a.m.      Close crew hatch
4:57 a.m.      Launch

Available as a hypertext link in the media services portion of the press
kit, or from:

   pragma::public:[nasa]sts-61.nasa_select


- dave

|                                                               |
|        KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT       |
|                   Tuesday, November 30, 1993                  |
|_______________________________________________________________|

KSC Contact: Bruce Buckingham       407-867-2468 (fax 867-2692)
     _______________________________________________________
    |                                                       |
    |  MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING  |
    |                   LAUNCH MINUS 1 DAY                  |
    |_______________________________________________________|

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105          ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: Pad 39-B                 INCLINATION: 28.45 degrees
LAUNCH DATE: December 1            CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH TIME: 4:57 a.m. EST         LANDING LOCATION: KSC
LAUNCH WINDOW: 1 hour/7 minutes
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours
EXPECTED KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: Dec. 12/2:42 a.m. EST

     The countdown for Endeavour's launch continues without problem
today. Yesterday, work to load cryogenic reactants into the orbiter's
storage tanks was completed on time and the pad was reopened for
regularly scheduled operations. Following fueling operations the orbiter
mid-body umbilical unit was demated from the vehicle and retracted back
to the service structure. Orbiter communications activation and final
vehicle and facility closeouts are in work today.

     This morning, preparations are being made to retract the rotating
service structure to launch position at about 9 a.m.

     At about 8 p.m. today, operations will begin to load the external
tank with more than 500,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.
Operations toward that milestone are proceeding without problem.

     Weather forecasters indicate a 70 percent probability of weather
prohibiting launch tomorrow. The primary concerns are for cloud ceilings
below 8,000 feet, showers, and 15 knot crosswinds at the Shuttle Landing
Facility. The winds at pad 39-B tomorrow are expected to be from the
northeast at 12 to 18 knots; temperature 65 degrees F; visibility 7
miles; and clouds scattered to broken at 7,000, feet.

     The 24-hour delay forecast reveals a similar threat to launch and
likewise lists a 70 percent chance of violation.

     Last night the seven-member astronaut crew were awakened at about 8
p.m. and this morning they were given a briefing on tomorrow's launch
weather outlook. They will be allowed some time to make last minutes
adjustments to their flight plans and completed their review of launch
day activities before their scheduled sleep time begins at 1:30 p.m.
today. The crew will be awakened tonight at 9:30 p.m. to begin launch day
activities. Departure for the pad remains set for 1:12 a.m. tomorrow.
  

This morning was scrubbed due to wind at the primary emergency 
landing site (Cape). Turnaround is for 1/2 an hour earlier 
window tomorrow.

From:	US1RMC::"[email protected]" "Peter Yee" 30-NOV-1993 14:33:23.94
To:	[email protected]
CC:	
Subj:	Claude Nicollier: The European astronaut bound for a rendezvous with  
        the Space Telescope 

European Space Agency
Press Information Note No. 24-93
Paris, France					24 September 1993

CLAUDE NICOLLIER
THE EUROPEAN ASTRONAUT BOUND FOR A RENDEZVOUS WITH THE SPACE TELESCOPE

In the culmination of ESA's contribution to the Hubble Space Telescope 
maintenance mission, to be carried out by the US Shuttle Endeavour in 
December this year, Europe will be represented on board by Claude 
Nicollier, from Switzerland.  Claude, who has been an ESA astronaut for 
the past 15 years, is the only European trained as a Mission Specialist, 
and it is on the strength of his skills in that capacity that he was selected 
by NASA for this assignment, which will be his second experience of 
spaceflight.  He has a vital task to perform: operating the Shuttle's robot 
arm while other members of the crew are outside repairing the Telescope.  
We interviewed this former astronomer whose ambitions turned to "hands-
on" experience of the stars.

Q.:  Claude Nicollier, you were assigned to STS Flight 61 almost a year 
ago.  How did you feel on learning the news?
C.N.:  Overjoyed.  This is a splendid and very ambitious mission.  The 
Space Telescope is the most fabulous instrument yet developed for 
observing the Universe.  It has already gathered in a mass of fantastic 
results and now it requires repairs.  This first rendezvous in orbit with the 
Shuttle and its crew is going to be a big event, and a lot of people are 
looking forward to it.  As an astronaut and a former astronomer, I consider 
myself doubly privileged to be taking part.

Q.:  How would you sum up the mission's objectives?
C.N.:  Hubble is an extremely bold project.  It was planned from the outset 
that the Telescope would operate in orbit for 15 years, through to 2005.  
Regular missions were therefore scheduled, at three-year intervals, for 
maintenance and modernisation.  This is the first in the series and it is an 
appointment that we absolutely must keep in order to give the HST a new 
lease of life, enabling it to continue supplying us with breathtaking 
astrophysical discoveries.

So we are going to restore all the satellite's initial capabilities.  We shall 
be replacing a number of vital elements (gyroscopes, solar panels, camera, 
magnetometer, electronic components, on-board memory etc.) and 
installing an optical device to correct the original fault in the Telescope's 
primary mirror, so that Hubble will be able to see even more clearly than now.

Q.:  This is going to be a busy mission.  NASA is billing it as the most 
difficult one ever undertaken by astronauts flying the Shuttle.  Do you 
agree?
C.N.:  It is certainly going to be one of the most complex, by virtue of the 
number of different operations to be carried out during EVA sorties.  
According to the nominal flight plan, five sorties, each lasting six to seven 
hours, are to be made by alternating shifts of two specialist astronauts, the 
overall duration of the mission being 11 days.

That is what is scheduled.  In fact, though, this mission really is the first 
of its kind.  Most of the things we shll be doing up there ahve never been 
done before in space.  There will be surprises, of that we can be sure.  We 
therefore have to visualise the unforeseeable.  On board, the work 
schedule will undoubtedly have to be reconfigured in real time, as events 
unfold.  That is the purpose of teh very intensive training we are engaged 
in currently, in the pool at the Marshall Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

I should mention that we do have contigency plans for three additional 
sorties, two for any problems with the Telescope, and one for any with the 
Shuttle.  If in the end we fail, NASA will schedule another maintenance 
mission for the second half of 1994.  But that is not on our minds at 
present.

Q.  You are to be the No. 2 Mission Specialist on board.  What does that 
mean?  What exactly will your role be?
C.N.  It means that I shall not be making sorties into space but shall be 
responsible for all the work with the robot arm on the Telescope, in 
addition to which I shall have flight engineer tasks throughout the mission.

My main task will therefore be to operate the Shuttle's robot arm during the 
capture, transport, repair and release of the Hubble Telescope.  I shall 
have a lot to do in support of the EVA astronauts.  The robot arm works 
rather like a human arm and has three joints: a shoulder, an elbow and a 
wrist.  I shall be using it to move the EVA-suited astronauts around the 
Shuttle's cargo bay while they work on the satellite.  We shall be removing 
each of the elements to be replaced one by one and fitting the new ones.

This is not a very difficult job in itself.  It is primarily an exercise in 
teamwork in space.  We have to be able to work in several reference 
systems simultaneously, with clear understanding between astronauts.  
One of the crew members in the cargo bay will be at the end of the robot 
arm, sending me fine guidance instructions that I must be able to interpret 
exactly.  We have done a lot of work in the pool on defining precise terms 
such as "pitch up, pitch down, roll left or right, forward, backward, up 
down, left, right".

In addition to this, then, I shall be acting as flight engineer during the 
ascent to orbit, the rendezvous with the Telescope, the reentry into the 
atmosphere, and the approach and landing when we come back to Earth.  
During those phases I shall be sitting in the cockpit between the 
Commander, Richard Covey, and the Co-pilot, Kenneth Bowersox.  I shall 
have relatively little to do during the ascent and descent phases, unless a 
problem arises.  However, the manoeuvres for approaching and moving 
away from the Telescope are pretty tricky, and I shall have to juggle with 
all the data from the on-board computers and radar and the sensors on 
the outside of the Shuttle to help the Commander carry them out.

Q.:  What do you think were NASA's reasons for selecting you?
C.N.:  Crew selection for a mission is always surrounded by a certain 
amount of mystery.  It does have to be said that the American Agency was 
under no obligation whatsoever to choose me for this flight.  Europe's 15% 
contribution to the Space Telescope programme was not enough to entitle 
ESA to insist on having one of its astronauts on board.  NASA therefore 
had an entirely free hand and chose me solely on the basis of my personal 
aptitudes, which I take as a great compliment.  Also, I am the only non-
American astronaut to have been trained as a Mission Specialist (*), which 
has given me a sound understanding of spaceflight and familiarity with the 
Shuttle.  And the fact that I have already flown once before, last year on 
Atlantis, was important, since all the candidates selected by NASA for this 
mission are experienced.

(*) Since August last year, the 1992 International Class of Astronauts has 
been undergoing Mission Specialist training.  The intake include five non-
Americans, of whom two are ESA astronauts.

Q.:  Tell us about your first flight.  This was STS-46 aboard Atlantis in 
July/August 1992, during which you deployed EURECA, the European 
Retrievable Carrier, and tested the Italian experimental Tethered Satellite 
System, TSS.  What are your abiding impression?
C.N.:  It was an extraordinary experience, a week-long adventure 
combining all aspects of spaceflight: the sensation of weightlessness, 
views of Earth, views of the sky, and all the operations carried out in orbit.  
It was a busy mission.  EURECA went off well and that exercise has now 
been brought to a successful conclusion, with the satellite being brought 
back to Earth in July this year following a stay of 11 months in orbit and 
performance of 70 experiments in the fields of microgravity, biology, 
astrophysics and technology.

The Tethered Satellite System, on the other hand, gave us a fair amount 
of trouble.  It should have been deployed on the end of a 20 km cable, but 
we managed to unwind only 250 m of the cable.  So this was a partial 
failure.  Nevertheless, a considerable volume of data was recorded and 
we learnt a lot about the techniques of controlling a satellite tethered to 
the Shuttle.

Q.:  Did you experience any particularly impressive moments?
C.N.:  Oh yes!  The ascent to orbit, to start with, was fantastic.  The initial 
shock of ignition of the boosters.  The vibration was so great that for a few 
seconds I had my doubts, wondering whether everything was OK.  I 
thought there might be a problem.  Then the sky darkened very quickly.  It 
was already dark two minutes after lift-off and pitch black another three or 
four minutes later and throughout the mission.  I was particularly struck by 
the contrast between the Earth's brightness and during the orbital day and 
blackness of the sky.  I had never seen that before.

Another exciting time came just after the release of EURECA.  The 
satellite was rapidly lost in the night and we had to use a powerful 
searchlight to track it while we were flying in formation with it over a five-
hour period.  There were some awkward moments during deployment of 
the Tethered Satellite System.  On two occasions, the cable stuck and the 
satellite bounced back towards Atlantis, necessitating rapid manoeuvring 
on the part of Loren Schriver, the Commander, to avoid contact.

Lastly, the reentry into the atmosphere was really spectacular.  This 
manoeuvre took place by night and we were suddenly surrounded by 
extremely hot gas.  We did not feel the heat but outside, through the 
window, we could see a very bright dark pink light given off by the Earth's 
air heated to a temperature of thousands of degrees by friction against the 
sides of the Shuttle.  This continued for about 20 minutes.

Q:  You mentioned the blackness of the sky in orbit.  The astronomer in 
you must have observed the stars as never before.
C.N.:  Of course.  With no atmosphere, the firmament is extraordinarily 
deep and pure.  During the orbital nights, I was often able to observe the 
sky and it was splendid, much more impressive than anything I have been 
able to see from Earth, even at the best mountain-top locations.  It is not 
that you see more stars, but nebulous, diffuse objects such as the Milky 
Way, stand out much more clearly.  I was able to see the shape of our 
Galaxy as never before.  Also the zodical light, that faint glow reflected by 
dust particles and gas in our Solar System.  It could be seen, just before 
sunrise or just after sunset, as an immense cone of light in the direction of 
the zodiac constellations.

There was one night, as we were flying over Brazil as I remember it, when 
there was stormy weather below us.  I was looking out towards the horizon 
in an idle moment when suddenly I saw a shooting star cross my line of 
vision and disintegrated in the atmosphere right below the Shuttle.  It was 
absolutely incredible.  Outside the atmosphere is really the only place to 
see such things!

Q.:  The Milky Way, the zodical light, a shooting star: Claude Nicollier, are 
you in reality an astronomer or an astronaut?  How do you define yourself?
C.N.:  I am an astrophysicist by training and an astronaut by profession.  I 
started my career as a research astronomer, 20 years ago.  I did research 
on supergiant, using photometry.  That was an excellent period in my life.  
This practically ideal occupation took me to observatories and 
extraordinary places around the world: the Gonergrat and Jungfraujoch in 
Switzerland, Saint Michel in France, and above all La Silla in Chile.

But I also have another passion, and that is flying.  I have been a private 
pilot, a professional pilot, an airline pilot for Swissair.  I am also a test 
pilot, and a fighter pilot in the Swiss Air Force.

These two interests -- astronomy and aviation -- led me to opt for a career 
as an astronaut in 1978, since when I have been a full-time astronaut for 
ESA.  It suits me.  The Shuttle is an extraordinary platform to work from, in 
space, and it is also the ultimate flying machine, which goes higher and 
faster than any other, 25 times the speed of sound when it penetrates the 
atmosphere!  On the one hand, science and research, on the other flying 
and adventure aboard a hypersophisticated craft: those are the reasons 
for my career choice.

This also explain why I am thoroughly satisfied with my present 
assignment.  Things could not have worked out better, with all the 
ingredients that appeal to me: the challenge of space and historic 
astronomical discoveries to make.  I could not be happier with this 
mission; I could not have been offered a more suitable one.

Q.:  Officially, then, you are no longer an astronomer.  But you are still in 
the swim of things.  To fantasise for a moment, if you were given the 
freedom of the Hubble Telescope, which direction would you point it in?
C.N.:  Ah, well!  Let me first remind you that the Telescope has already 
made some splendid discoveries.  It is making regular observations of the 
planets in the Solar System, monitoring the surface of Mars and the 
atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn.  In our own Galaxy, it has identified 
fascinating young stars around which planetary systems such as our own 
are perhaps going to form.  It has photographed the environment of a 
superb black hole at the centre of an outer galaxy, and it has shown us 
individual stars in galaxies tens of millions of light-years away.

If I were given the use of Hubble, I would train it on galaxies and engage in 
the study of cosmic distances.  Rather conventional, perhaps, but I have 
always been fascinated by these island universes drifting in space and by 
the idea of determining the dimensions of the cosmos by calibrating our 
distance scales according to the nearby galaxies.  That would help us 
pinpoint the rate at which the Universe is expanding, and to determine its 
past history and future.  Is the Universe going to continue expanding 
indefinitely?  Is it going to start contracting one day?  These are the big 
questions in modern astrophysics, and they are fascinating ones.

Q.:  You therefore regard the Space Telescope programme as a success.  
And yet, it was the subject of a lot of disparaging comment at one stage.
C.N.:  I not only regard it as a success but would like to see a second 
Hubble built!  Scientists from all over the world are queuing up for a 
chance to use the Telescope to explore the cosmos, and 85% of their 
requests are having to be turned down for lack of observation time.  This 
means that a second-generation telescope of the same type is required.  I 
believe we should be looking to develop astronomy in space, in parallel 
with the establishment of an inhabited space station devoted primarily to 
microgravity and life science research.  We should get together -- 
Europeans, Americans, Russians, Japanese, Canadians ... -- and build 
another Hubble to meet international demand.

Q.:  Claude, we have been talking about the mission that is on your mind 
at the moment.  But tell us a little about what astronauts do when they are 
not flying, which of course is most of the time.
C.N.:  Yes, we spend much more of our time on the ground than in space.  
But we are not training all the time.  Outside the periods during which we 
are assigned to a specific mission, we all have ground jobs -- technical 
work involved in supporting, preparing or operating Shuttle flights.  I for 
example tested the flight software and studied the behaviour of the 
tethered satellite for the Atlantis mission.  We also have regular general 
training sessions on the flight simulator (ascent to orbit, work in orbit, 
descent, reentry into the atmosphere, approach, landing) or in T-38 jets.  
This keeps our skills permanently up to standard.

When we are assigned to a particular flight, the whole crew starts specific 
training.  The STS-61 crew entered that phase early this year.  We started 
with practice on the simulator for the trickest phases: launch, return to 
Earth, rendezvous in orbit.  We are currently rehearsing the "star turn" -- 
the EVA work -- in the swimming pool and on the Shuttle cockpit simulator.  
It is very intensive work.

Q.:  Is there no longer any leisure time?
C.N.:  The answer to that is clear: no, not during preparation for a mission.  
It is work, work, work.  No holidays, hardly any weekends.  But that is our 
choice, and it is all worthwhile.  Outside these periods, we do have a little 
time for relaxation.  I spend almost all of mine with my family.  I have a 
wife, Susana, and two children, Maya and Marina, who are 19 and 15.  
Our home is in Houston, Texas, where we have lived for 12 years, and 
during my free time we go out, play tennis, eat out, and ocasionally go to 
the theatre or a concert.  We like walking in the country (Houston is not the 
best place for that!) or going for a trip in a boat or plane.

Q.:  Your mission is scheduled to be completed in mid-December.  But if 
things do not go according to plan, you might find yourself spending 
Christmas in orbit.  Have you thought about that?
C.N.:  Yes, there is a small risk of that, but I accept it.  If I happen to be 
in orbit on Christmas Day, I shall still be with my family in spirit.  In any 
case, I shall certainly have plenty of extraordinary things to tell them on my 
return.  And, who knows, we might even get a sighting of the Three Kings' 
star as never seen before.

Q.:  Thank you, Claude, and the best of luck.


Note to the press:

This interview with Claude Nicollier is the fourth in a series of press 
information notes that ESA is issuing ahead of the Space Telescope 
maintenance mission.  The subjects of the first three were:

(1)  the Hubble Telescope's scientific results
(2)  a general presentation of the STS-61 maintenance mission
(3)  ESA's role in the Space Telescope programme.

These can be obtained on request from ESA Public Relations.

The fifth in the series, giving details of the maintenance programme to be 
carried out in orbit by the astronauts, will appear in October.

For those not able to see the news, the shuttle launched on 
schedule this morning at ~4:30am Eastern time. Looked good 
through SRB separation and then I got ready to come to work.

 _______________________________________________________________
|                                                               |
|        KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT       |
|                 Thursday, December 2, 1993                    |
|_______________________________________________________________|

KSC Contact: Mitch Varnes        Ph) 407-867-2468
     _______________________________________________________
    |                                                       |
    |  MISSION: STS-61 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SERVICING  |
    |                     FLIGHT DAY 1                      |
    |_______________________________________________________|

VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105          ORBITAL ALTITUDE: 356 miles
LOCATION: Pad 39-B                 INCLINATION: 28.45 degrees
LAUNCH DATE: December 2            CREW SIZE: 7
LAUNCH TIME: 4:27 a.m. EST         LANDING LOCATION: KSC
MISSION DURATION: 10 days/22 hours
EXPECTED KSC LANDING DATE: Dec. 13

The launch of Endeavour on mission STS-61 occurred on schedule this 
morning at 4:27 a.m. EST.  Launch occcurred at the opening of the window.  
The countdown was trouble-free and Endeavour's ascent into orbit was 
nominal. 

The seven astronauts and the Shuttle Endeavour are now orbiting roughly 
350 miles above the earth at a speed of 17,500 miles-per-hour.  The 
orbiter is circling the planet once every 90 minutes.  Endeavour's 
payload bay doors have been opened and the astronauts are configuring the 
vehicle for its on-orbit operations.  The astronauts are scheduled to 
begin their sleep period at noon today.  The orbital adjustment engine 
firings to track down the Hubble Space Telescope are planned to occur 
tomorrow. 

MISSION CONTROL CENTER
STS-61 Status Report #1
Thursday, December 2, 1993, 7:30 a.m. CST

The space shuttle Endeavour lit up the Florida skies this morning as the 
STS-61 crew began the first Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. 

The on-time launch at 3:27 a.m. CST went off from the Kennedy Space 
Center without problems and Endeavour achieved its desired 308 by 214-
nautical mile orbit some eight minutes later.  All systems are working 
well. 

Shortly after reaching orbit, the STS-61 crew began checking Endeavour's 
systems and payload bay in preparation for the 11-day servicing mission 
with its record five space walks.  Mission Specialist Kathy Thornton sent 
birthday greetings to her eight-year-old daughter Laura, remarking about 
the special "candles" --the solid rocket boosters--that were lit for the 
occasion. 

At 8:51 a.m. Commander Dick Covey will fire the orbital maneuvering 
system for the first burn to set Endeavour on course for a Saturday 
rendezvous with Hubble.  Then the astronauts will settle down for an 
eight-hour sleep period and wake up at 6:57 p.m. CST to begin their first 
full day in space. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

MISSION CONTROL CENTER
STS-61 Status Report #2
Thursday, December 2, 1993, 6 p.m. CST

Endeavour's crew members will check out their space suits and continue 
chasing the Hubble Space Telescope during their second day in space as 
they prepare for the servicing tasks scheduled for later in the mission. 

The primary activity for STS-61's Flight Day 2 is the checkout of the 
Extravehicular Mobility Units for Jeff Hoffman, Story Musgrave, Kathy 
Thornton and Tom Akers.  During the procedure, the astronauts will verify 
that the suits' communications and life support systems are all 
functioning as expected.  After all four units are checked, the suits 
will be ready for the first of the five spacewalks on Sunday.  Also in 
preparation for the EVAs, astronauts will check out Endeavour's robot arm 
and depressurize the crew cabin slightly from its current 14.7 psi to 
10.2 psi. 

At crew wake up, Endeavour was about 2,500 miles behind the Hubble Space 
Telescope, closing at a rate of 210 nautical miles per orbit. Two jet 
firings are planned Friday morning to slowly close the distance between 
the orbiter and the telescope, and set up the final rendezvous and 
retrieval on Saturday morning. Though the engine burn plan will be 
updated throughout the day, the NSR burn is set for Orbit 17 at about 
5:35 a.m. Central (1/02:08 MET), and the NC-2 burn is set for Orbit 19 at 
about 7:44 a.m. Central (1/04:17 MET). Both jet firings will adjust the 
closing rate between Endeavour and Hubble. The NSR burn was moved one 
orbit earlier to give controllers and crew members more time between it 
and the NC-2 burn.  An NPC burn which was designed to place Endeavour in 
the same plane as Hubble will not be needed due to the orbiter's 
performance on ascent. 

The orbiter is performing without any major system anomalies as it makes 
its fifth space flight. Endeavour is currently in a 308 by 272 n.m. 
orbit. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mission Control Center 
STS-61 Status Report #3
Friday, December 3, 1993, 8 a.m. CST

Endeavour's astronauts spent their second day in space closing in on the 
Hubble Space Telescope for the capture early tomorrow morning. The 
following is a summary of the day's events, and all times given are in 
Central Standard Time. 

The crew started its day Thursday night with a 6:57 p.m. wake-up call 
featuring the tune "Cosmos." Soon after, spacewalkers Story Musgrave, 
Jeff Hoffman, Kathy Thornton and Tom Akers checked out the life support, 
power and communication systems of their four Extravehicular Mobility 
Units, or space suits, and found them ready for Saturday's first 
servicing EVA. European Space Agency astronaut Claude Nicollier gave the 
robotic arm system a warm up and used its TV camera to verify that 
payload bay equipment was in excellent condition. Nicollier also received 
a congratulatory message from Adolf Ogi, president of the Swiss 
Confederation. Later, Nicollier, Commander Dick Covey and Pilot Ken 
Bowersox participated in an early morning interview with the Associated 
Press. The crew also depressurized the orbiter's cabin atmosphere from 
14.7 to 10.2 psi to reduce the amount of time Musgrave and Hoffman must 
breath pure oxygen before taking their first space walk. 

The Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field Planetary Camera and High Speed 
Photometer completed their last observations of the solar system before 
the observatory's aperture door was closed about 5 a.m.  The Space 
Telescope Operations Control Center at Goddard Space Flight Center also 
sent commands to the Telescope to move into its proper solar inertial 
attitude for tomorrow's rendezvous with the shuttle. 

Before Endeavour's crew members settle down for their eight-hour sleep 
period beginning  just before 10 a.m. today, Covey completed the two 
orbiter maneuvering burns to move Endeavour closer to HST. The NSR burn 
was performed at 7:11 a.m. and the NC-2 burn about a half hour later. The 
crew will be awakened around 6 p.m. Friday night for the final phase of 
the rendezvous with Hubble.  At approximately 1 a.m. Saturday, another 
burn will put the orbiter 8 nautical miles behind HST with grapple to 
follow around 3:10 a.m.   About an hour later, HST will be berthed in 
Endeavour's payload bay, after which the crew  will get to visually check 
the observatory for the first time in three-and-a-half years. 

All Endeavour's systems are performing very well.  Endeavour circles the 
Earth every 95 minutes in a 317 by 303 nautical mile orbit, closing in on 
HST at a rate of 60 nautical miles per orbit. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mission Control Center
STS-61 Status Report #4
Friday, December 3, 1993, 6 p.m. CST

As the Space Shuttle Endeavour gained ground on the Hubble Space 
Telescope in preparation for an early morning rendezvous and grapple, the 
seven-member crew was awakened to the strains of "Here I Come" by Rare 
Earth. 

All of Endeavour's systems continued to function well as the crew got a 
full day's sleep in preparation for this evening's exacting rendezvous 
ballet. Endeavour is circling the Earth every 95 minutes in a 317 by 303 
nautical mile orbit, about 190 nautical miles behind HST at the beginning 
of the third flight day and closing the distance between the orbiter and 
telescope at 60 nautical miles per orbit. 

The closing speed will remain the same until the next reaction control 
system firing, scheduled for 8:34 p.m. CST (MET 1/17:07). The NH burn 
will change the shuttle's velocity by 4.6 feet per second, adjusting the 
high point of Endeavour's orbit and fine-tuning its course toward a point 
40 miles behind HST. The next burn, an orbital maneuvering system firing 
designated NC3, is scheduled for 9:22 p.m. (MET 1/17:55) and will change 
Endeavour's velocity by 12.4 feet per second. That burn will adjust 
Endeavour's catch-up rate to about 16 nautical miles per orbit and put it 
8 n.m. behind HST two orbits later. A third burn of just 1.8 feet per 
second, called NPC and designed to fine tune two spacecrafts' ground 
tracks, is scheduled for 9:58 p.m. CST (MET 1/18:31). The multiaxis RCS 
terminal initiation or "TI" burn, which places Endeavour on an intercept 
course with HST and sets up Commander Dick Covey's manual control of the 
final stages of the rendezvous, is set for 12:35 a.m. (MET 1/21:08). 

Mission Specialist Claude Nicollier is scheduled to grapple HST with the 
orbiter's 50-foot robot arm at about 2:45 a.m. Saturday as Endeavour 
passes over Australia and the South Pacific. Berthing in the payload bay 
is expected at about 3:47 a.m. CST, and a survey using the robot arm 
cameras is set to begin at 4:08 a.m. CST. 

Earlier in the day, controllers at the Space Telescope Operations Control 
Center at the Goddard Space Flight Center uplinked commands to stow HST's 
two high-gain antennae. Controllers received indications that both 
antennae had nested properly against the body of the telescope, but 
microswitches on two latches of one antenna and one latch on the other 
did not send the "ready to latch" signal to the ground. Controllers 
decided not to attempt to close the latches, as the antennae are in a 
stable configuration. 

The situtation is not expected to affect plans for rendezvous, grapple 
and servicing of the telescope, however flight controllers are working on 
plans for additional visual inspections during the camera survey. 

STS-61 TWO-LINE KEPLERIAN ELEMENTS

STS-61
1 22917U 93075A   93337.30642863 0.00000095  00000-0  00000+0 0    55
2 22917  28.4704  54.2074 0043739  56.8805 303.5973 15.08705500   155
HST
1 20580U 90037B   93326.53889941  .00000818  00000-0  69765-4 0  3644
2 20580  28.4673 123.5668 0004218 266.1154  93.8990 14.92930899195195

Satellite: STS-61
Catalog number: 22917
Epoch time:      93337.30642863         (03 DEC 93   07:21:15.43 UTC)
Element set:     GSFC-005
Inclination:       28.4704 deg
RA of node:        54.2074 deg          Space Shuttle Flight STS-61
Eccentricity:    0.0043739                  Keplerian Elements
Arg of perigee:    56.8805 deg
Mean anomaly:     303.5973 deg
Mean motion:   15.08705500 rev/day      Semi-major Axis: 6918.2866 Km
Decay rate:       0.95E-06 rev/day*2    Apogee  Alt:        570.16 Km
Epoch rev:              15              Perigee Alt:        509.64 Km


NOTE - This element set is based on NORAD element set # 005.
       The spacecraft has been propagated to the next ascending
       node, and the orbit number has been adjusted to bring it
       into agreement with the NASA numbering convention.

R.A. Parise, Goddard Space Flight Center

[Hey, I was up at 4AM, so why not share it...  :-)  ]


Endeavour captured HST around 2:48 central time.   The rendevous and capture
appeared to be flawless (they reported that they were below the propellant
margin for the maneuver by 140 pounds -- they didn't say out of how many
that was, but it was characterised as "well below margins").

They had a good Tally Ho at 3 miles, with closure and capture taking about
2 hours after the visual sighting.

There was no TV coverage of the capture (I know not why, possibly orbiter
attitude) itself, but pictures very soon afterwards.

The berthing and power-transfer also went very well.


HST is a bit worn, but appeared to be in overall good shape.  One of the
solar arrays (which they plan to replace) is "badly" warped, but apparently
not far from predictions (they showed computer models and actual pictures
of the warped array that were quite close).   One of the bistems (the
remarkable devices that roll up, but are rigid when deployed) is bent.  There
is some minor concern that the kink will prevent the array from being rolled
up.  The contingency plan is to remove the array and jettison it if that
situation plays out.  [No probablilities given on this contingency based on
the camera work].

One of the High Gain Antennas did not completely latch down, but it is latched
enough for what they need (they just need to avoid stressing it during
the planned reboosts).


EVA #1 starts in 5 or 6 hours.   I understand that CSPAN will cover the EVAs
on Saturday and Sunday.


- dave

Mission Control Center
STS-61 Status Report #5
Saturday, December 4, 1993, 8 a.m. CST

The third day of  the STS-61 Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission
included the successful rendezvous, grapple and berthing of the HST in
the Space Shuttle Endeavour's cargo bay.

Commander Dick Covey maneuvered Endeavour within 30 feet of the free-
flying HST before Mission Specialist Claude Nicollier used Endeavour's
robot arm to grapple the telescope at 2:48 a.m. CST when the orbiter was
several hundred miles east of Australia over the South Pacific. Nicollier
berthed the telescope in the shuttle's cargo bay at 3:26 a.m. CST.

"Houston, Endeavour has a firm handshake with Mr. Hubble's Telescope,"
Commander Dick Covey told ground controllers after the shuttle's robot
arm had grappled the telescope.

When Endeavour captured the HST, the telescope had traveled 530 million
miles and made 19,695 orbits of the Earth since it was placed in orbit in
April 1990.

Following the berthing of the telescope, crew members and ground
controllers used cameras mounted on the robot arm to conduct a visual
survey of the HST giving observers their first look at the telescope in
three-and-a-half years.

During visual surveys of the HST , crew members and ground controllers
saw a kink and twisting in the outer bi-stem of one of two solar arrays
on the telescope.  However , after review HST program managers decided to
follow the pre-flight plan for rolling up and retracting the solar arrays
at the end of the first extravehicular activity or spacewalk at about
5:30 a.m. CST Sunday.

The stowage of the solar arrays is a two step process with the initial
step involving the rolling up of the solar arrays and the second step
involving the actual folding up of the arrays against the telescope. The
solar arrays provide power to the telescope. Each array stands on a four
foot mast that supports a retractable wing of solar panels 40 feet long
and 8.2 feet wide.

Crew members' sleep period begins at 9:57 a.m. CST and they will awaken
at 5:57 p.m. CST today to begin their fourth flight day activities which
will include the first extravehicular activity or spacewalk. Mission
specialists Story Musgrave and Jeff Hoffman will leave the orbiter's
airlock at about 10:52 p.m. CST today to begin the servicing tasks on the
telescope. Musgrave and Hoffman, sometimes referred to as "The Odd
Couple" because they will go on the first, third and fifth spacewalks
scheduled during this mission, will reenter the airlock at about 5:07
a.m. CST Sunday.

All of Endeavour's systems continue to perform well as the shuttle
circles the Earth every 95 minutes in a 319 by 313 nautical mile orbit.

From:	US1RMC::"[email protected]" "John Magliacane"  5-DEC-1993 16:11:32.85
To:	[email protected]
CC:	
Subj:	* SpaceNews 06-Dec-93 *

SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC1206
* SpaceNews 06-Dec-93 *
 
BID: $SPC1206
 
                               =========
                               SpaceNews
                               =========
 
                         MONDAY DECEMBER 6, 1993
 
SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA.  It is
published every week and is made available for unlimited distribution.
 
* HUBBLE REPAIR NEWS *
======================  
STS-61 lifted off at the opening of its launch window at 4:27 AM EST 
(9:27 UTC) on 02-Dec-93.  Ascent to orbit was nominal in every respect.
Flight controllers on duty in the Space Telescope Operations Control
Center let out a little cheer at the moment of liftoff and a great 
big one when the solid rocket boosters seperated two minutes later.
Because of the lighter than normal payload, the single engine press
to ATO (abort to orbit) call occurred before the negative return call,
thus the Transatlantic Abort Option (TAL) was not needed to cover 
single engine failure contingencies.  Because of the unusually high 
altitude of this mission, Endeavour will have only enough fuel for one 
rendezvous attempt, in order to keep enough fuel in reserve to execute 
the de-orbit burn at the end of the mission.  
 
One of the service mission activities planned for the 4th EVA will be
the installation of a 80386 co-processor on the DF-244 computer.  The
DF-224, built by Rockwell Autonetics, is a general purpose digital
computer which is the main computer onboard HST, and is responsible 
for executing stored command loads, formatting data for telemetry to
the Space Telescope Operations Control Center, and keeping the solar
arrays pointing at the sun and the high gain antennas pointing at
the Tracking and Data Relay satellites.  The DF-224 is a 24 bit computer
with three central processing units, one prime and two backups, six 
memory units of 48K words each, and three I/O units, two as backup. 
Since HST was launched, two of the six memory modules have failed, 
leaving four memory units to support HST operations.  The HST requires
a minimium of three working memory units, but is currently making use
of all four memory units.  Failure of another memory would impact HST
operations and would require more frequent command load uplinks than
are desirable.  The Solar Array Gain Augmentation software (SAGA), which
was developed shortly after HST was launched in order to counteract
the vibration of the HST solar arrays, also occupies part of the DF-224
memory and could not be run if another memory module were to fail.
 
Immediately following the co-processor installation, a pre-planned 
aliveness and functional test will be performed by ground command in
order to verify that the co-processor's shared memory is working and
properly communicating with the DF-224. If the test indicates that 
neither side of the co-processor works with the current DF-224, and  
there is no cable problem, the astronauts will install a spare DF-224
which they are carrying onboard in case it is needed.  This would require
a sixth contingency EVA in addition to the five that are baselined for
STS-61. 
 
The Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph, one of the four axial science
instruments, suffered an intermittent failure of its A-side power supply 
in 1991.  There is a redundant B-side power supply available, but unlike 
other parts of the HST, the redundant B-side of each of the science 
instruments is not just a spare to be used in case of failure in the 
A-side, but is used regularly in its own right because its digicon 
detector has different spectral characteristics from the A-side detector. 
The choice of which side of the GHRS to use is determined by which of the 
two detectors is best suited to the desired astronomical observation.  In 
the case of the GHRS, data from both sides of the instrument flows 
through a science data interface circuit which receives its power from 
the A-side power supply and is then routed to the A-side of the Science 
Data Formatter (SDF) for transmission to the ground.  The intermittent 
failure of the A-side power supply leaves the A-side detector out of 
commission, and threatens the ability of the B-side detector to send its 
science data to the ground via the A-side of the SDF.  There is a second 
interface circuit powered from the functional B-side power supply, which 
feeds data to the B-side of the SDF, but this data path cannot be used 
unless the science instrument command and data handling system (SIC&DH) 
is reconfigured to the redundant B-side, a drastic action that HST flight 
controllers are reluctant to take just to salvage one science instrument. 
 
[Info via Dan Schultz, N8FGV, Space Telescope Operations Control Center,
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD ([email protected])]
 
* STS-61 KEPS *
===============
STS-61
1 22917U 93075A   93337.30642863 0.00000095  00000-0  00000+0 0    55
2 22917  28.4704  54.2074 0043739  56.8805 303.5973 15.08705500   155
 
Satellite: STS-61
Catalog number: 22917
Epoch time:      93337.30642863         (03 DEC 93   07:21:15.43 UTC)
Element set:     GSFC-005
Inclination: 28.4704 deg
RA of node:        54.2074 deg          Space Shuttle Flight STS-61
Eccentricity: 0.0043739                  Keplerian Elements
Arg of perigee:    56.8805 deg
Mean anomaly:     303.5973 deg
Mean motion:   15.08705500 rev/day      Semi-major Axis: 6918.2866 Km
Decay rate:       0.95E-06 rev/day^2    Apogee  Alt:        570.16 Km
Epoch rev:              15              Perigee Alt:        509.64 Km
 
NOTE - This element set is based on NORAD element set # 005.
       The spacecraft has been propagated to the next ascending
       node, and the orbit number has been adjusted to bring it
       into agreement with the NASA numbering convention.
 
[Info via Ron Parise, WA4SIR, at the Goddard Space Flight Center]
 
* THANKS! *
===========
Thanks to all those who sent messages of appreciation regarding SpaceNews, 
especially:
 
        Richard Keen            Kip Kippley             Bob Kirby
 
* FEEDBACK/INPUT WELCOMED *
===========================
Mail to SpaceNews should be directed to the editor (John, KD2BD) via any
of the following paths:
 
FAX      : 1-908-747-7107
PACKET   : KD2BD @ N2KZH.NJ.USA.NA
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MAIL     : John A. Magliacane, KD2BD
           Department of Engineering and Technology
           Advanced Technology Center
           Brookdale Community College
           Lincroft, New Jersey  07738
           U.S.A.
 
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Mission Control Center
STS-61 Status Report #6
Saturday, December 4, 1993, 6 p.m. CST

With the Hubble Space Telescope firmly anchored in Endeavour's payload 
bay, the seven-member crew was awakened at 5:57 p.m. CST to make ready 
for the first of five planned space walks. 

Flight controllers uplinked the song "Fanfare for the Common Man" by 
Aaron Copeland to start the day for Commander Dick Covey, Pilot Ken 
Bowersox and Mission Specialists Tom Akers, Jeff Hoffman, Story Musgrave, 
Claude Nicollier and Kathy Thornton. 

Musgrave and Hoffman are scheduled to step out of the orbiter's airlock 
at about 10:52 p.m. CST, but the six-hour space walk could begin as early 
as 10 p.m. if onboard preparations allow. The primary tasks for the first 
space walk are the replacement of the two gyroscope rate sensor unit 
packages, two electronic control units and eight fuse plugs that protect 
HST electrical circuits. At the start of the space walk, Musgrave and 
Hoffman will secure HST for the in-space work week by installing 
protective covers on the aft low gain antenna and exposed voltage bearing 
connector covers. At the end, they will set up the payload bay for Akers 
and Thornton, who will replace the two solar arrays the following day. 

At midnight, controllers at the Space Telescope Operations Control Center 
at the Goddard Space Flight Center will prepare the telescope for 
servicing by powering down rate sensor units 2 and 3 and disabling their 
heaters. At 3:50 a.m., they will turn off elements of the observatory 
that are powered through fuse plugs that will be replaced; those elements 
will be powered up again at 4:30 a.m. After the rate sensor units are 
replaced, controllers will check whether they are "alive" at 4:40 a.m. 
Functional testing of all the telescope's gyros will begin at 8:27 a.m., 
and functional testing of the fuse plugs will begin at 11:10 a.m. 

The STOCC will start the 73-minute-long retraction of the two solar 
arrays at 6:10 a.m. During a post-grapple survey of the telescope with 
the shuttle's robot arm cameras, the crew pointed out significant bowing 
and a kink in one of the bi-stem frame supports. The European Space 
Agency-built solar arrays are expected to retract in spite of the 
deformities, said Derek Eaton, ESA's project manager. 

All of Endeavour's systems continue to perform well as the shuttle 
circles the Earth every 95 minutes in a 320 by 313 nautical mile orbit. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mission Control Center
STS-61 Status Report #7
Sunday, December 5, 1993, 7 a.m. CST

Spacewalking STS-61 crew members Story Musgrave and Jeff Hoffman 
completed several servicing tasks and wrestled with balky gyro doors on 
the Hubble Space Telescope early Sunday morning during this mission's 
first of five ambitious spacewalks. 

Musgrave and Hoffman began their spacewalk about an hour earlier than 
scheduled by stepping out into the cargo bay about 9:44 p.m CST Saturday.  
The two astronauts, who both are veteran spacewalkers, meticulously 
stepped through their assigned servicing tasks on the HST, which is 
anchored in the Space Shuttle Endeavour's cargo bay.  After leaving the 
airlock and moving into the cargo bay, the duo prepared the telescope, 
which towered above them, for a week full of work by installing 
protective covers on the aft low gain antenna and exposed voltage bearing 
connector covers. 

During the seven hour and 54 minute spacewalk, Musgrave and Hoffman 
successfully changed out the rate sensing units and the electronics 
control unit.  The RSUs are pairs of gyroscopes on the telescope which 
are required to point and track HST.  The astronauts also changed out 
eight fuse plugs that protect the telescope's electrical circuits.  
Hubble now has a full set of six healthy gyroscopes. 

The astronauts struggled with the latches on the gyro door when two of 
four gyro door bolts did not reset after the astronauts installed two new 
gyro packages.  Engineers who evaluated the situation speculated that 
when the doors were unlatched and opened, a temperature change might have 
caused them to expand or contract enough to keep the bolts from being 
reset. 

With the efforts of determined astronauts in Endeavour's payload bay and 
persistent engineers on the ground, all four bolts finally latched and 
locked after the two spacewalkers worked simultaneously at the top and 
bottom of the doors.  Musgrave anchored himself at the bottom of the 
doors with a payload retention device which enabled him to use some body 
force against the doors.  Hoffman, who was attached to the robot arm, 
worked at the top of the doors.  The duo successfully latched the doors 
when they simultaneously latched the top and bottom latches. 

The spacewalkers also set up the payload bay for mission specialists Tom 
Akers and Kathy Thornton who will replace the telescope's two solar 
arrays during the second spacewalk scheduled to begin at 10:52 p.m. CST 
today.  The solar arrays provide power to the telescope.  In anticipation 
of that spacewalk, Musgrave and Hoffman prepared the solar array carrier 
which is located in the forward portion of the cargo bay, and attached a 
foot restraint on the telescope to assist in the solar array replacement. 

Musgrave and Hoffman's spacewalk became the second longest spacewalk in 
NASA history.  The longest spacewalk occurred on STS-49 in May 1992 
during Endeavour's maiden flight.  Spacewalking crew members during that 
flight were Tom Akers, Richard Hieb and Pierre Thuot. 

All of Endeavour's systems continue to perform well as the shuttle 
circles the Earth every 95 minutes in a 320 by 313 nautical mile orbit. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

MISSION CONTROL CENTER
STS-61 Status Report #8
Sunday, December 5, 1993, 6 p.m. CST

STS-61 Mission Specialists Tom Akers and Kathy Thornton are scheduled to 
make their first space-suited foray into Endeavour's payload bay tonight 
to replace the Hubble Space Telescope's solar arrays. It will be the 
second of five space walks scheduled for the mission. 

The seven-member crew was awakened at 5:57 p.m. CST with the song "With a 
Little Help from My Friends" by The Beatles. 

Controllers at the Space Telescope Operations Control Center will power 
down the solar array electronics boxes at 8:20 p.m. CST and configure 
them for changeout. The STOCC team will monitor the changeout throughout 
the space walk, then conduct a 23-minute aliveness test on the new arrays 
at 2:25 a.m. CST. 

The replanned time to start the extravehicular activity is 9:47 p.m. CST 
(MET 3/18:20). The first chore will be detaching and jettisoning the 
right solar array, which failed to completely retract because of a kink 
in its bi-stem framework. Thornton will step into a foot restraint on 
Endeavour's robot arm, and Mission Specialist Claude Nicollier will move 
her into position alongside the array. Thornton will install a transfer 
handle and attach it to the balky array. 

While she is holding onto the array with the handle, Akers will 
disconnect the array at the telescope body. The electrical connections 
will be broken when the shuttle is in darkness and the array's 
photovoltaic cells are not generating power. Nicollier will then use the 
arm to boost her and the array above the payload bay. Thornton will 
release the array no earlier than 10:43 p.m. CST (MET 3/19:16), imparting 
no motion, and Nicollier will move her back down into the cargo bay. 
After Commander Dick Covey and Pilot Ken Bowersox maneuver the shuttle 
away from the drifting array, the two space walkers will install its 
replacement. 

Akers and Thornton will then remove the array that retracted completely 
and stow it in its payload bay carrier. Next, they will install its 
replacement. 

Preparations for jettisoning of the right solar array are expected to 
take about half an hour to complete, and the entire space walk is 
scheduled to last about six hours. 

All of Endeavour's systems continue to perform well as the shuttle 
circles the Earth every 96 minutes in a 320 by 313 nautical mile orbit. 

Gyros:

  4 of the 6 gyros have been through the functional tests and passed with
  no reported problems.  The remaining 2 gyros will be tested later today.
  [The two remaining gyros are original equipment, only the power supplies
   were changed, so they expect no problems based on the liveness tests.]


Solar Arrays:

  Both solar arrays have been replaced and continuity tests, etc. show that
  they have been installed correctly.  A functional test of the arrays will
  come later in the mission (functional testing requires the arrays to be
  unfurled).

  One of the arrays (with the damaged bistem) was jettisoned.  It was quite
  a sight to watch (it took 15 or 20 minutes to drop out of view).  It received
  an extra push from the RCS jets when Endeavour backed away, so it was
  flapping like a bird.  One manager mused that the videotape will be put to
  music soon.

  No significant snags during the changeout (I didn't stay up for the whole
  thing, so I'm taking some people at their word here).  The only problems of
  note were K.T.'s suit had a failed radio receiver which prevented her from
  hearing the orbiter/ground (we could hear her).  Tom Akers acted as a relay
  as his communication system used a different channel/gizmo.   They opted to
  not use the backup system as it would prevent suit telemetry from reaching
  the ground.   The Flight Director stated that this style of operation was
  well within flight rules.  I didn't see it really affecting things all that
  much during the first couple of hours of the EVA.    Tom Akers also had a
  small problem with a safety wire on the solar array attachment, but this was
  eventually taken care of with some pliars.


Two down, three to go.


- dave

STS-61 LAUNCH REPORT    MISSION DATA SUMMARY  12/02/93

GEORGE C. MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER

PAYLOAD MANIFEST:
    PAYLOAD BAY         Hubble Space Telescope (HST)
                        Servicing Mission (SM)1,
                        IMAX Cargo Bay Camera (ICBC)
    MID-DECK            IIMAX, Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS)
INSTRUMENTATION:        None Assigned

LAUNCH DATE:            December 2, 1993
LAUNCH WINDOW:          3:27 am - 4:34 am CST
LAUNCH TIME:            93:336:26:59.983 GMT
                        3:27 am CST

SSME #3 START TIME:     93:336:09:26:53.422 GMT
SSME #2 START TIME:     93:336:09:26:53.545 GMT
SSME #1 START TIME:     93:336:09:26:53.665 GMT

SCRUB T-REF             93:335:10:58:00.000 GMT
                        5:58 am CST December 1, 1993

LAUNCH SITE:                    KSC Pad 39B
MOBILE LAUNCH PLATFORM:         MLP-2
ORBITAL INCLINATION:            28.45 degrees
LAUNCH AZIMUTH:                 90.0 degrees
ORBITAL ALTITUDE:               ~308 nautical miles
INSERTION MODE:                 Direct
MISSION DURATION:               11 days nominal
PRIMARY LANDING SITE:           Kennedy Space Center, FL
ABORT LANDING SITES:            TAL (Prime)   - Banjul, Gambia
                                                TAL Alternate - Moron, Spain
                                                Ben Guerir, Morocco

ORBITER:                        ENDEAVOUR OV-105 (5th Flight)
EXTERNAL TANK:                  ET-60
MAIN ENGINES:                   2019, 2033, 2017
    POWER LEVEL:                Nominal...........100/73/104%
                                Abort....................104%
                                To Avoid Ditching........109%

SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS:          BI-063

SOLID ROCKET MOTOR SET: Left    - 360L023A
                                Right  - 360L023B
Burnrate (Delivered):           LH - 0.366 IPS at 60 deg F
                                RH - 0.366 IPS at 60 deg F

COMMANDER:                      Dick Covey
SHUTTLE PILOT:                  Ken Bowersox
PAYLOAD COMMANDER:              Story Musgrave
ESA SPECIALIST:                 Claude Nicollier
MISSION SPECIALIST:             Tom Akers
MISSION SPECIALIST:             Kathy Thorton
MISSION SPECIALIST:             Jeff Hoffman



1.0   STS-61 FLIGHT SUMMARY

The STS-61 mission was successfully flown from Launch Pad 39B (MLP-2) at the
Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on December 2, 1993.  This is a civilian mission of
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) with the primary
objective of performing the first on-orbit servicing of the Hubble Space
Telescope (HST).  The servicing tasks include the installation of a new Solar
Array (SAs), an operational Wide Field/Planetary Camera (WFPC-II), a Corrective
Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement (COSTAR), replacement gyro packages,
and provide redundant data transfer capabilities for the Goddard High
Resolution Spectrometer. Secondary objectives are to perform the requirements
of the IMAX Cargo Bay Camera (ICBC), the IMAX Camera and the Air Force Maui
Optical Site Calibration Test (AMOS).

This was the fifty-ninth (59th) flight of the Space Shuttle program.  RSRM
ignition occurred at approximately 3:27 A.M. Central Standard Time (CST)
(93:336:09:26:59.983 GMT). Winds at liftoff were from approximately 419 degrees
at 14 knots; the ambient temperature was 68.4 degrees F; the barometric
pressure was 30.22 in.  Hg; and the relative humidity was 70.8%.

The successful launch of STS-61 followed a vehicle scrub on December 1, 1993
due to a Return To Launch Site (RTLS) Launch Commit Criteria (LCC) weather
violation at KSC. The scrub occurred at approximately 4:58 am CST (10:58 GMT)
while in an extended hold at T-5 minutes.


2.0   FLIGHT RESULTS

2.1   SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS - SRBs BI-063, RSRMs 360L023A, 360L023B

All Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) systems performed as expected.  The SRB
prelaunch countdown was normal, and no SRB or RSRM Launch Commit Criteria (LCC)
or Operational Maintenance Requirements Specification Document (OMRSD)
violations occurred.

Power up and operation of all case, igniter, and field joint heaters was
accomplished routinely.  All RSRM temperatures were maintained within
acceptable limits throughout the countdown.  For this flight, the low pressure
heated ground purge in the SRB aft skirt was used to maintain the case/nozzle
joint and flexible bearing temperatures within the required LCC ranges.  At T-
15 minutes, the purge was changed to high pressure to inert the SRB aft skirt.

Preliminary data indicates that the flight performance of both RSRMs was well
within the allowable performance envelopes, and was typical of the performance
observed on previous flights.  The RSRM propellant mean bulk temperature (PMBT)
was 70 degrees F at liftoff.

Both SRBs were successfully separated from the External Tank (ET) at T + 126.4
seconds, and reports from the recovery area, based on visual sightings,
indicate that the deceleration subsystems performed as designed.  Both SRBs
were observed during descent, and are currently floating near the retrieval
ships.



2.2 EXTERNAL TANK - ET-60

All objectives and requirements associated with External Tank (ET) propellant
loading and flight operations were met.  All ET electrical equipment and
instrumentation operated satisfactorily.  ET purge and heater operations were
monitored and all performed properly.  No ET LCC or OMRSD violations were
identified.

Typical ice/frost formations were observed on the ET during the countdown.
There was no observed ice or frost on the acreage areas of the ET. Normal
quantities of ice or frost were present on the LO2 and LH2 feedlines and on the
pressurization line brackets.  These observations are acceptable per NSTS
08303.  The Ice/Frost "Red Team" reported that there were no anomalous TPS
conditions.

The ET pressurization system functioned properly throughout engine start and
flight.  The minimum LO2 ullage pressure experienced during the ullage pressure
slump was 14.0 psid.

ET separation was confirmed, and since Main Engine Cutoff (MECO) occurred
within expected tolerances, ET reentry and breakup is expected to be within the
predicted footprint.


2.3 SPACE SHUTTLE MAIN ENGINE - SSMEs 2019, 2033, 2017

All SSME parameters appeared to be normal throughout the prelaunch countdown
and were typical of prelaunch parameters observed on previous flights.  Engine
"Ready" was achieved at the proper time; all LCC were met; and engine start and
thrust buildup were normal.

Preliminary flight data indicate that SSME performance during mainstage,
throttling, shutdown and propellant dump operations was normal.  HPOTP and
HPFTP temperatures appeared to be well within specification throughout engine
operation.  Space Shuttle Main Engine Cutoff (MECO) occurred at T + 511.28
seconds.  There were no Failure IDs (FIDs), and no significant SSME problems
have been identified.


2.4 MAIN PROPULSION SYSTEM - MPS OV-105

The overall performance of the Main Propulsion System (MPS) was as expected.
LO2 and LH2 loading were performed as planned with no stop flows or reverts.
There were no OMRSD or LCC violations.

Throughout the period of preflight operations, no significant hazardous gas
concentrations were detected.  The maximum hydrogen concentration level in the
Orbiter aft compartment (which occurred shortly after the start of the LH2
recirc pumps) was approximately 130 ppm, which compares favorably with previous
data for this vehicle.

A comparison of the calculated propellant loads at the end of replenish, versus
the inventory loads, results in a loading accuracy of -0.04 percent for LH2,
and -0.01 percent for LO2.

Ascent MPS performance appeared to be completely normal.  Preliminary data
indicate that the LO2 and LH2 pressurization systems performed as planned, and
that all NPSP requirements were met throughout the flight.


2.5 SHUTTLE RANGE SAFETY SYSTEM - SRSS

Shuttle Range Safety System (SRSS) closed loop testing was completed as
scheduled during the launch countdown.  All SRSS Safe and Arm (S&A) devices
were armed and system inhibits turned off at the appropriate times.  All SRSS
measurements indicated that the system operated as expected throughout the
countdown and flight.

As planned, the SRB S&A devices were safed, and SRB system power was turned off
prior to SRB separation.  The ET system remained active until ET separation
from the Orbiter.


2.6 VEHICLE PERFORMANCE

A quick-look determination of vehicle performance was made using vehicle
acceleration and preflight propulsion prediction data.  From these data, the
average flight derived engine Isp determined for the time period between SRB
separation and start of 3-G throttling was 452.0 seconds as compared to an MPS
tag value of 452.77 seconds.  The relative velocity of the vehicle reached the
Adaptive Guidance/Throttling (AGT) Reference Value at T + 19.39 seconds,
resulting in a calculated time difference used to adjust the pitch and throttle
profiles of + 0.40 seconds.


3.0 CANDIDATE IN-FLIGHT ANOMALIES AND SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS


No In-Flight Anomalies or significant problems associated with the MSFC
elements have been identified at this time.
________________________________________________________________________

Dave,

Was the stuff you saw really on CSPAN?  (Or do you have Nasa Select?)

Burns

CSPAN is covering the EVAs.  For the last 2 nights, they have provided live
coverage starting around 11:30pm EST (or whenever the EVA starts).

Almost as good as having NASA select!

John

I was watching on NASA Select.  It was my understanding that CSPAN would
cover the EVAs over the weekend.

I have NASA Select because I volunteer at the local cable station in our
town's high school: so I commandeer the airwaves!  [Well, I really do have
permission to do this, but it was definitely a matter of "just do it"].  I
can't get 100% coverage, but the late-night activities of this mission works
out really well.


- dave

    Can someone explain to me in laymans terms the following:
    
    The old solar panels are being replaced primarily because they bend
    excessively going from day to night, night to day and cause a wobble
    problem for the scope.
    
    
    I saw the new panels last night for the first time and they too are the
    furl out kind of panel. What is new about them that will solve the
    wobble problem? I was mistakenly under the impression that the new
    panels would be more rigid in design but I can't tell the difference
    from the pictures on the tube.
    
    
    As an aside - CNN is also covering the walks live for most of the
    night. The only problem with them is that they keep going for
    commercial breaks literally about every 2 minutes. Really disrupts
    your concentration... Oh well it is better than nothing...
    
    
    Thanks in advance to whoever can answer my question
    
    regards.
    
    Roger Yurkiw

    The old arrays have some older technology alloys used in their 
    construction. Also there is a potentiometer device that's used 
    in early solar array devices which is designed to provide some 
    of the thermal expansion coefficient compensation of the whole
    assembly as it cools off and warms up in its trip around in orbit.
    They removed the potentiometer device from the new design. So
    along with the use of newer metal alloys and some simplification
    of design, but retaining the best features of the "venetian blind"
    design they have a better array design.
    
    Bob

From:	US1RMC::"VOLCANO%[email protected]" "VOLCANO"  
        2-DEC-1993 17:37:26.79
To:	Multiple recipients of list VOLCANO 
        <VOLCANO%[email protected]>
CC:	
Subj:	Space Shuttle mission

The Space Shuttle flight STS-61 launched this morning (December 2) 
and will last for 12 days.  As usual, the astronauts will be taking
hand-held color photography of the Earth as part of the Space Shuttle
Earth Observations Project (SSEOP).  The purpose of this message is to
solicit suggestions for potential sites (on-going research projects)
to be photographed during the mission. Please send your suggestions,
including site latitude and longitude, feature or phenomena of interest, 
and brief (one or two lines) description of your project to PHOTO.REQUEST. 

If you have made requests for previous flights, you must resubmit your
suggestion. 

The orbit and camera/film/lens parameters for the mission are as follows:

      Altitude: 318 nm. (585 km) -- twice the normal altitude
      Inclination: 28.5 degrees (that means the Shuttle will only pass over
areas between 28.5 N and 28.5 S).
      This is a 1-shift mission, and the best-illuminated parts of the world
will be between 20N and 28.5S.  There will be good
opportunities over  Central America, northern South America
and Africa, and south Asia.
       Camera/Lens/Film: 70 mm Hasselblad with 50, 100, and 250 mm lenses. A
near-vertical Hasselblad photograph using the 250 mm lens will cover an area
roughly 130km by 130 km.  The majority of film will be Ektachrome 64 color
transparency film.

While SSEOP cannot guarantee that suggested sites will be collected,
all suggestions will be given serious consideration.  Earth
photography is dependent upon other mission activities (including
sleep periods), orbit track, Shuttle orientation, available film, and
cloud cover (although clouds may be a target). 

Should the photography be collected, you will be notified and the
photography may then be ordered through the Technology Application
Center in Albuquerque or EROS Data Center, Sioux Falls, SD.  Realize
that it may be some time before these distribution centers receive
their  copies of the film from which they make their products.  If you
do not get a response, it means that the photography, due to one or
more of the constraints listed above, was not collected. 

For suggestions/requests, please contact Kam Lulla at [email protected]

On another note:  for those who responded to the last mission
(STS-58):  We are still reviewing the film.  After the AGU meeting next
week, I will post a quick-look listing of the significant photography.
Thanks for your patience. 

Cindy Evans
Space Shuttle Earth Observations Office

% ====== Internet headers and postmarks (see DECWRL::GATEWAY.DOC) ======
% Date:         Thu, 2 Dec 1993 09:58:39 MST
% Sender: VOLCANO <VOLCANO%[email protected]>
% From: [email protected]
% Subject:      Space Shuttle mission
% To: Multiple recipients of list VOLCANO 
      <VOLCANO%[email protected]>

    re: .78
    
    Thanks
    
    Regards.
    
    Roger

Mission Control Center
STS-61 Status Report #10
Monday, December 6, 1993, 7 p.m. CST

Mission Specialists Jeff Hoffman and Story Musgrave will put on their
space work clothes for the second time about 9:47 p.m. CST tonight for a
four-hour replacement of the Wide Field/Planetary Camera and a one-hour
installation of two new magnetometers.

The seven-member crew of Endeavour was awakened at 6:02 p.m. Monday by
flight controllers who played "Doctor My Eyes" by Jackson Browne.

Hoffman will step into a foot restraint on Endeavour's robot arm for the
WF/PC swap, and Musgrave will be on a portable foot restraint anchored
near the WF/PC opening on the Hubble Space Telescope. Both astronauts
will be anchored on the end of the robot arm for the magnetometer
installation.

Controllers at the Space Telescope Operations Control Center will begin
powering down WF/PC I at 11:15 p.m., then begin reconfiguring their
equipment to support the new WF/PC II.

On the aft flight deck, Mission Specialist Claude Nicollier will drive
the robot arm, moving Hoffman into position to grasp WF/PC I. Musgrave
will help stabilize the instrument as Hoffman slowly pulls WF/PC I out
along its guide rails, pausing to allow Nicollier to reposition the arm.
Before WF/PC I is completely removed, the trio will conduct a practice
session to prepare for installation of WF/PC II. As Hoffman is placing
the old camera in a temporary parking fixture in the payload bay,
Musgrave will inspect the WF/PC orifice and begin preparing the new
camera for removal from its transport container. The pair will then
attach a transfer handle to the new camera and pull it out of the
transport canister. Before Hoffman begins installing the new camera into
the body of the telescope, Musgrave will remove a protective mirror
cover. Then, the astronauts will carefully align the new camera on its
guide rails and insert it into the telescope.

STOCC controllers will conduct an "aliveness" test on the new camera at
1:20 a.m. Tuesday, and begin functional tests about 4:40 a.m. A science
data dump will recover images from the functional tests for processing by
the WF/PC Instrument Development Team as early as 7:35 a.m. Results of
those tests should be available within 30 minutes.

The telescope will be tilted forward on its work platform so that the
robot arm can reach the top of the telescope, where the magnetometers are
located. STOCC controllers will configure the first magnetometer for
replacement about 1:40 a.m. After the astronauts install the first new
unit, the STOCC will conduct functional tests about 3 a.m. After those
tests are complete, the space walkers will install the second unit and
the STOCC will conduct its functional tests about 3:20 a.m.

All of Endeavour's systems continue to perform well as the shuttle
circles the Earth every 95 minutes in a 320 by 313 nautical mile orbit.
 
-------------------------
HST
1 20580U 90037B   93339.57493170  .00028070  00000-0  26172-2 0  3718
2 20580  28.4705  39.5197 0004900  49.8661 310.3057 14.92996262   474
STS 61
1 22917U 93075A   93340.21665509  .00000271  00000-0  18280-4 0   161
2 22917  28.4699  35.3802 0005051  69.3021 146.6976 14.92803280   572

... well, that's how it seems to be in the media.   While the astronomy
community (well, a certain segment of it) is probably jumping for joy as
long as things go as planned, the mission begins to drop into the shadows
of public coverage.

WF/PC-II was successfully installed last night!   The procedure appeared
(to me) to be flawless.  The crew was anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes ahead
of their training, and 1 hour ahead of the timeline for the day.   I was
unable to see the press conference this morning, so I don't know how NASA
is crowing about this.

The pulse quickens when you see someone handling a $100 million instrument
upside down with his fingertips (when every natural instinct is that "this
is going to fall right back into the bay). "You can do things in zero-G that
are just incredible" (paraphrasing Jeff Hoffman as he pulled (floated/) WF/PC-2
out of it's carrier.

One moment of irony was when they removed the cover from the pickoff mirror.
This was billed as a very delicate and important task (touch the pickoff mirror
and the telescope is trashed).  Story was releasing the latch on the cover
and starting to move it down and.... the picture goes blank for 15 seconds...
All went well apparently.

Visual inspections of the WF/PC cavity and the telescope indicated that
everything was in pristine condition.

The two magnetometers were also replaced as planned.   I watched this in
fast forward, so I don't know if they had any problems, but none have been
mentioned (some chatter about something being torn).


- dave

I should point out that I only know about the results of the "liveness"
test for WF/PC-2.  The results of the functional tests I have not heard
about.


[I only had CSPAN last night.   I was amused at all the incorrect and
 misleading comments that kept popping up in the lower-left corner of the
 screen: "the astronauts are replacing cameras" -- just one camera folks;
 "the astronauts are using 200 tools" -- well they brought along over 200
 tools, but they only plan to use about 30 of them...]


- dave

    I've been watching NASA Select coverage, & slipping over to watch
    C-SPAN coverage and also was somewhat amused by some of the text
    messages being put up on the C-SPAN screen.
    I managed to get our cable company Nashoba Cable last week to
    consider finding another channel to broadcast NASA Select on during
    evening hours. As I may have mentioned in here elesewhere, back in
    early September, our cable compnay began showing NASA Select TV
    during day-time hours (6am-8pm) on a channel that broadcasts the
    Playboy channel during the hours of 8pm-6am. So what subscribers
    got was NASA Select coverage on only part of the 24 hr day during
    a Shuttle mission. So I wrote them and then followed it up with a
    phone call to the Marketing Director at Nashoba. Her first response
    back to me was that they wouldn't be able to find a free channel to
    broadcast the shuttle coverage between the hours of 8pm-6am. I told
    her I was dissapointed, and expressed my concern about the choices
    that cable companies make in choosing channels to air on a cable
    system. I then closed by saying that at least she tried her best
    (make them feel guilty). I got a phone call on Friday afternoon,
    from her saying they had found a channel that they could use during
    the hours of 8pm-6am to broadcast the NASA Select coverage during
    the 11 day mission. It was a channel that they were using to broadcast
    either a test pattern all day or show nothing more than the scheduled
    starting towns for Selectman's Meetings in various towns serviced
    by Nashoba. Little did I know that it was going to be shown on C-SPAN.
    So for the last few nights I've been watching till my eyes give up on
    me. :-) (my VCR is of course vigilant in staying awake while operating
    while I sleep). I managed to stay awake last night till they got the
    WFPIC-II installed, and it is indeed awsome what can be done in a
    zero-G environment. The previous nights coverage of the er... 
    "array-bird" flapping away after getting a kick from the wash from
    a shuttle thruster blast was an interesting model in dynamics of
    motion in a zero vacuum environment.
    
    Bob...zzzzzzz

Mission Control Center
STS-61 Status Report #11
Tuesday, December 7, 1993, 7 a.m. CST

The flawless installation of the Wide Field/Planetary Camera II early 
Tuesday morning highlighted the third back-to-back spacewalk to service 
the Hubble Space Telescope. 

"Ohhh, look at that baby, it's a beautiful spanking new Wifpic," space 
walking astronaut Jeff Hoffman said as he pulled the replacement Wide 
Field/Planetary Camera II out of its storage locker about 11:24 p.m. CST 
Monday. "We'll see some nice pictures with that." 

Following the removal and storage of the original WF/PC which will be 
returned to Earth for post-flight analysis, STS-61 space walking 
astronauts Story Musgrave and Hoffman installed the 620 pound camera 
about 12:05 a.m. CST Tuesday while in the Space Shuttle Endeavour's 
payload bay. The camera sits just below the telescope's midpoint. About 
35 minutes after the installation was complete, ground controllers 
reported that the camera had passed the first electrical "aliveness" 
test, as it is called. 

"I hope we have a lot of scientists eager to use this beautiful thing," 
Hoffman said after the installation. The space walking duo completed the 
installation of the camera in record time. Pre-flight predictions 
provided a four hour time slot for the detailed installation. 

The original camera experienced focusing problems shortly after the 
telescope's deploy in April 1990. The problems were attributed to a 
manufacturing flaw in the telescope's 94-inch wide primary mirror. 
Blurred photographs were the result of the flaw. The new camera has four 
small precisely ground mirrors that should remove the blur by focusing 
the stray light of the telescope's primary reflector. 

Hoffman and Musgrave also installed two new magnetometers during their 
six hour and 47 minutes spacewalk. The astronauts began the third 
spacewalk at 9:35 p.m. CST Monday, more than an hour earlier than planned 
pre-flight. The magnetometers , which are located at the top of the 
telescope, sense the magnetic field in three directions and are needed to 
keep the Hubble's momentum wheels operating with optimal efficiency. 

At the end of today's third spacewalk, Musgrave had accumulated a total 
of 19 hours doing spacewalks and Hoffman had racked up a total of 17 
hours and 51 minutes. Both astronauts have been on three separate 
spacewalks, two of which have occurred on STS-61. Musgrave was the first 
person in the shuttle program to conduct a spacewalk and he did so on 
STS-6. Hoffman's first spacewalk occurred on STS-51D. 

Crew members will begin their sleep period at 9:57 a.m. CST and flight 
controllers will awaken them at 5:57 p.m. CST today.  Musgrave will begin 
his seventh day in space with a television interview at 8:27 p.m. CST 
today. He will talk with Ted Koppel, the host of the ABC news program 
Nightline. The interview is expected to last about 15 minutes. 

Following the interview, crew members will devote their attention to the 
fourth spacewalk scheduled for this mission. During tonight's spacewalk, 
astronauts Kathy Thornton and Tom Akers will replace the telescope's 
high-speed photometer with the Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial 
Replacement. The COSTAR has 10 small mirrors that should properly focus 
light from the Hubble camera's primary reflectors. Thornton and Akers are 
scheduled to begin their spacewalk at 10:52 p.m. today. 

All of Endeavour's systems continue to perform well as the shuttle 
circles the Earth every 95 minutes in a 320 by 313 nautical mile orbit. 

    Boy these repairs are coming along swimmingly!
    
    I'd like to go back to those solar panels for just a second.
    They jettisoned the "busted" panel by placing it up out of the way,
    then firing the shuttle thrusters so as to move away from it.
    
    Why go to all that trouble? Why not just toss the thing overboard,
    so to speak? Aim for the North Pole and give 'er the old heave-ho.
    Seems to me as long as you throw "earthward" and "backward" you're
    not likely to run into the thing again and it'll eventually fall into
    the atmosphere and burn up. Instead we have yet more space junk.
    
      John

  I doubt that if it were "thrown" backwards that it would slow down enough
to reenter the atmosphere much sooner than it will anyway.

  George

    They released it without any force so they would have some idea
    of its relative motion to the shuttle. I won't go so far as to say
    they didn't take into account the possibility of a thruster exhaust
    giving it any extra velocity. The thruster burn they did to put
    some distance between them and the panel was a precise known 
    delta velocity. Thus they should be able to keep a fairly accurate
    account of where it is based on its potential deteriation from its
    present orbit. When the Hubble Telescope is released it will be in a 
    slightly higher orbital plane than the jettisoned panel. So it will 
    never encounter the same orbital plane as the HST.
    It was mentioned BTW that the mass of the disposed solar array is
    such that when its orbit deteriorates it will enter the atmosphere
    about a year from now and completely burn up. So bottom line is 
    NASA doesn't seem to be overly concerned about it getting in the way 
    of something else before it extinguishes itself on re-entering the 
    atmosphere about a year from now.
    
    Bob

A few more comments...

The separation maneuver was designed to move away from the array at
1 foot per second (the jets hitting it increased that to 4 fps).

First and foremost, they had to assure that the array would be nowhere
in the vicinity of the HST soon after tossing it overboard.

Now if I had a choice between: firing the thrusters for a tenth of a second
and asking an astronaut perched at the very end of semi-stable 50 foot
arm to impart a reasonable rate on a 400 pound object with a really wierd
center of gravity  --- which would you choose?

Remember - the mistake could cost a billion dollars.  (I exaggerate here a
bit, but if the HST were damaged, it could go that high).



- dave

re .82
    
>                          -< Good news is no news... >-
>
>... well, that's how it seems to be in the media.   While the astronomy
>community (well, a certain segment of it) is probably jumping for joy as
>long as things go as planned, the mission begins to drop into the shadows
>of public coverage.
    
    "Down under" the mission has had a few minutes each night so far - better
    than average for a shuttle mission - and a small mercy to one who doesn't
    have the luxury of watching live on NASA Select or CSPAN or whatever.
    
    You have to ignore the associated voice though. The mission has been
    repeatedly called a "rescue mission", the telescope has been described
    as "never worked" and the the fault has been attributed to the "camera".

    i have been keeping up with these "MCC" status reports - i don't have
    tv. Where did report #9 go? Where would i be without "notes files"?
    

MISSION CONTROL CENTER
STS-61 Status Report #12
Tuesday, December 7, 1993, 6 p.m. CST

STS-61 Mission Specialists Tom Akers and Kathy Thornton are getting ready
for their second space walk -- the fourth of a record five planned for
STS-61 -- to install the Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial
Replacement unit and a computer coprocessor.

In addition, the two space walkers hope to perform some easy activities
to prepare for the installation of insulation around two of the Hubble
Space Telescope's old magnetometers after space walkers Jeff Hoffman and
Story Musgrave discovered that parts of one of the unit's shell had come
loose.

Akers and Thornton are expected to step out of the airlock about 9:52
p.m. CST. Their first chore will be removal of the High Speed Photometer
from the telescope and the installation of the COSTAR package in its
place. The 7 by 3-foot package is designed to correct for the spherical
aberration in the telescope's primary mirror before light reaches its
faint imaging systems.

Controllers at the Space Telescope Operations Control Center will turn
off the power to the HSP before Thornton, on the end of the shuttle's
robot arm, opens the access door latches with a power ratchet tool. Akers
will climb inside the compartment and disconnect the HSP before helping
Thornton remove it along guide rails. Thornton will grasp the HSP with
handles while Mission Specialist Claude Nicollier maneuvers her and the
phone booth-sized instrument out of the compartment and onto a temporary
parking fixture on the side of the payload bay.

Thornton then will be positioned above the COSTAR storage canister so
that she can grasp its handles, and with the help of Nicollier and the
arm, pull it out of its storage compartment and position it in front of
the access door. Akers will again enter the instrument compartment and
help align COSTAR on the HSP guide rails. Together, they will insert
COSTAR into the cavity, and Akers will tighten its fasteners and reattach
electrical cables. The COSTAR installation is expected to take about 3
hours, 10 minutes, and will be followed by power-up and aliveness testing
by the STOCC. A functional test of COSTAR will begin about six hours
later.

After Hubble is rotated on its lazy Susan and the STOCC turns off the
telescope's computer, the two space walkers will turn their attention to
increasing its speed and memory with the installation of a 386
coprocessor. Akers, who will be on the end of the robot arm for this job,
will open the protective enclosure that houses the onboard computer.
Thornton will carry the coprocessor from its storage compartment to the
telescope, where Akers will remove the existing flight computer's
handles. Thornton will install them on the coprocessor, mount it to the
resulting handle mounting holes with four bolts and make the appropriate
electrical connections. The entire operation is expected to take about 1
hour, 40 minutes, and will be followed by a full checkout of the
coprocessor. About five hours later, the STOCC will completely
reconfigure the computer and its flight software.

If time allows, the space walkers then will collect some aluminized
kapton and dacron mesh multilayer insulation for placement around the
telescope's two old magnetometers during the fifth space walk.

The seven-member crew was awakened at 5:57 p.m. CST Tuesday to the sounds
of Johnny Nash singing "I Can See Clearly Now" as all of Endeavour's
systems continue to perform well. The shuttle is circling the globe once
every 96 minutes in a 320 by 313 nautical mile orbit.

Well, I only stayed up for the COSTAR replacement -- which appeared to go
as well as the WF/PC installation the night before.   If everything works
as designed, HST now has a new set of optics at the expense of one
instrument (the high-speed photometer).

The crew got off to an early start with only a short snag in the communications:
Tom Aker's radio wasn't working.  It turned out to be some switch settings
were incorrect.  This was diagnosed and fixed in about 5 minutes.   K.T.'s
receiver (orbiter/ground) is still busted, so Tom acted as a relay (it had
very little affect on the operations).

K.T. was on the arm again, and Tom was the free-floater.

My goodness, does Tom like to chat or what?


The aft shroud doors opened up O.K., and they immediately tried closing them.
They did not close correctly, foreshadowing a repeat of the first EVA's
door problems (it also puts a little bit of doubt into the idea of thermal
differences attributed to the other doors).  [These are a different set of
doors, by the way, but similar (if not exact) in size.]

The HSP was removed without incident (some concern about it bumping into
some appendage inside the shroud).   They did a quick "mass handling" exercise
with it to assure that K.T. could bring it back in.   It was then stowed
on the edge of the payload bay.   Visual inspection of the cavity proceeded
with no problems (it all looked clean).

At one point KT or Tom remarked that it all looked very familiar except that
it was much cleaner... and there were no divers to help out  (and that they
sure missed them too)...

The COSTAR was unberthed, the cover removed from the DOR - Deployable Optical
Bench (they really do have an acronym for everything).   Claude flew it over
to the HST and it was inserted and latched into place rather quickly - as
these things go.   The liveness test was conducted and checked out fine.

The doors then proceeded to button up with minimal problems (small cheers).

The crew then went on to work on the co-processor, but I went to sleep and
screwed up my VCR settings (plus I only caught the tail end of the press
briefing).   My impression (from the lack of news more than anything else)
is that everything went fine there as well.


Tomorrow is EVA #5.

One amusing moment in the press conference, the flight director (Milt ?)
was talking about how the crew always manages to be rather aggressive about
getting out early.  The ground caught on to this and sent up a timeline
that was ahead of the original plan by 1 hour.  The crew then proceeded to
beat that plan by 20 minutes.    When asked when EVA #5 would start, Milt
paused and said "I don't know -- they'll probably have to call me at home."

Overall this is an indication that the crew health and spirits is doing well
considering the work they are putting in.


- dave

I caught the end of the EVA and they were buttoning up after being out 
6:45 so I figured there were few snags. I'll have to wait until this 
evening to review the video tape. Looks like all the tank time has 
really paid off. You know there's going to be some doubters while 
waiting for first light with the new optics. Didn't I read in here that 
they're going to have to wait about 5-6 weeks for things to 
stabilize/air out?

Mission Control Center
STS-61 Status Report #13
Wednesday, December 8, 1993, 8 a.m. CST

STS-61 crew members performed brain and eye surgery on the Hubble Space 
Telescope early Wednesday with the successful installation of the 
Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement unit and a computer 
co-processor. 

Astronauts Kathy Thornton and Tom Akers begain the mission's fourth 
spacewalk at 9:13 p.m. CST Tuesday. Once in the Space Shuttle Endeavour's 
payload bay, the duo removed the blurred High Speed Photometer from the 
telescope and installed the COSTAR in its place, completing the task 
about 11:35 p.m. CST Tuesday. 

The COSTAR is designed to correct for the spherical aberration in the 
telescope's primary mirror before light reaches its faint imaging 
systems. The corrective optics will compensate for the problem, like 
eyeglasses or contacts correct human sight. 

Following the installation, ground controllers performed a successful 
"aliveness" test of the instrument which checks its communications, 
telemetry and electrical continuity. 

Spacewalkers Thornton and Akers conducted the COSTAR installation in 
record time, completing the task in 35 minutes. It had been predicted 
that the task would take three hours and 10 minutes. 

Thornton and Akers then placed the blurred High Speed Photometer into the 
storage locker that previously had held the COSTAR instrument and moved 
to their next task, the installation of a new co-processor, in the 
payload bay about 1:25 a.m. CST Wednesday. The co-processor will enhance 
the telescope's memory capability and enable it to process data faster. 
Ground controllers, at about 3:41 a.m. CST, reported that the co-
processor had powered up successfully. 

Astronauts disconnected the telescope's computer while installing the co-
processor, a procedure roughly equivalent to major surgery on a human 
being, scientists said. 

"Essentially what we were doing was brain surgery," said Ken Ledbetter, 
HST program manager, during a press briefing Wednesday. "In a day or so, 
hopefully, the patient will be ready to walk on its own." 

Referring to the COSTAR installation, HST senior project scientist Dr. 
Dave Leckrone added, "We also conducted eye surgery on the telescope." 

HST scientists said they hope to complete the initial checkout of the 
telescope and receive its first images within six to eight weeks. 
However, it will be about 13 weeks before a comprehensive checkout of the 
orbiting observatory is completed, they said. 

During Wednesday's six hour and 50 minute spacewalk, Akers broke the all-
time American space-walking record previously set by Eugene Cernan, who 
had accumulated a total of 24 hours and 14 minutes performing spacewalks 
on Gemini 9 and Apollo 17. At the end of Wednesday's spacewalk, Akers had 
accumulated a total of 29 hours and 40 minutes. 

Crew members' sleep period begins at 9:57 a.m. CST and flight controllers 
will awaken them at 5:57 p.m. today as they begin their eighth day in 
space. Commander Dick Covey and Pilot Ken Bowersox will perform a small 
jet firing to circularize the shuttle's orbit in preparation of the 
reboost and release of the telescope about 12:57 a.m. CST Friday. 

During the fifth spacewalk on the eighth flight day, astronauts Story 
Musgrave and Jeff Hoffman will install the Solar Array Drive Electronics 
and the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph Redundancy Kit, a power 
backup for a HST science instrument. 

Once those tasks are complete, Musgrave and Hoffman will install the 
newly fabricated covers on the old magnetometers. Finally ground 
controllers will command the telescope's two newly installed solar arrays 
to unfurl. 

All of Endeavour's systems continue to perform well, as the shuttle 
circles the Earth every 95 minutes in a 320 by 313 nautical mile orbit. 

			SM Report #6

	7:30 AM December 7	341:12:30

	
	Summary of recent activities:

	EVA 3 has gone extremely well.  The EVA crew
	today was Story Musgrave and Jeff Hoffman.  They
	had no difficulty at all removing the WFPC from
	the HST.  They stored it temporarily and then
	removed the WFPC-II from the radial carrier.
	They carefully removed the protective cover from
	the pick-off mirror and easily slid the WFPC-II
	into the HST.  The latch and blind mate connector
	operated as planned.  The STOCC ran a quick 
	aliveness test which verified that the power and
	data connections between HST and WFPC-II were 
	good.  The EVA crew then stowed the old WFPC
	in the radial carrier and sealed it up.

	The next task was the installation of the new magnetometer
	units up at the front end of the telescope near the
	aperture door.  The first magnetometer was installed
	and tested ok.  The second magnetometer was then
	installed and tested ok.  During the installation
	of MSS #2 some pieces came off the old MSS #2.
	It is not clear what pieces they are,
	the crew brought them inside the cabin at the
	end of the EVA.  They may return to MSS #2 in
	a later EVA to wrap up the old MSS #2 completely
	so no further pieces can come off.

	The EVA crew then finished up with several minor 
	preparatory tasks for the next two EVAs.

	The WFPC-II functional test was then started.  This
	test exercises more of the WFPC-II capabilities than 
	the aliveness test, including the taking and downlinking
	of 3 internal WFPC-II CCD frames.  The three images have
	come down and been inspected by the IDT and they look 
	perfect.  The filter wheel mechanism and shutters work
	fine.  The only remaining step in the functional test
	is to dump and verify the microprocessor memory.


	Problems/Issues/Changes under consideration:

	The contamination and shuttle experts are still looking into
	pressure increases seen during the solar array jettison
	yesterday.  They believe that there is no reason
	to be concerned with contamination of the HST.

	A contingency plan will probably be developed for a
	return to MSS #2 to be sure nothing else will come loose
	and float around.  The two pieces have now been identified
	as label plates which had been glued to the magnetometer.
	It looks like either they were poorly glued or the glue
	has degraded over three years.  

	Near-term plans:

	The plans for tommorrow are to proceed with EVA #4 and
	install COSTAR and the Co-processor.	

		SM Report #7 (by R. Doxsey/STScI)

	8:00 AM December 8   342:13:00

	
	Summary of recent activities:

	The EVA crew for today was Kathy Thornton and
	Tom Akers.  The started the EVA at roughly 10:15
	pm, they seem to be starting a little earlier each
	evening.

	The first task was COSTAR installation.  The STOCC
	commanded the HSP off. The EVA crew opened the aft
	shroud doors and disconnected the HSP electrical
	connections.  They undid the mounting latches and
	carefully removed the HSP, the clearances were fairly
	tight, an inch or two, in some places.  The HSP removal
	went smoothly.  They practiced a re-insertion with the HSP
	and then took it to the temporary parking spot.  They
	then opened the axial SIPE and removed the COSTAR.
	The COSTAR was then taken over and very carefully
	installed in the HST.  There was no problem with the fit,
	it went in very smoothly.  The latches were fastened
	and then the connectors fastened.  As the crew closed
	and fastened the doors the STOCC carried out a very
	short aliveness test of COSTAR, which was successful.
	The crew had no difficulty closing the aft shroud doors.
	They then stored the HSP in the axial SIPE and closed
	it up for return to earth.

	The next task was the installation of the co-processor.
	While the EVA crew was getting set up the STOCC safed the SIs
	and powered down the DF224.  The door to the DF224 
	compartment was opened and the handles removed from
	the DF224.  The co-processor was attached and the
	connectors between it and the DF224 were mated.  The 
	co-processor was firmly fastened and the compartment
	door closed.  The STOCC began the co-processor aliveness
	and functional tests.  After and initial delay due 
	to bad communications links, the tests proceeded and
	completed successfully.

	The EVA crew then removed two panels of MLI (multi-layer
	insulation) from a no longer critical spot in the carrier
	structures in the payload bay and took them into the
	cabin when the EVA was completed.  Several of the astronauts
	then used some patterns faxed up from the ground to 
	make two caps for the old magnetometers from the MLI.
	(On TV it looked a little like a summer camp arts and
	crafts session).  These caps will be installed during
	EVA 5 and should prevent more pieces from floating 
	away from the old magnetometers.  

	After completing the co-processor tests, the STOCC
	will recover the SIs from safe and execute the COSTAR
	functional test.  This test exercises several COSTAR
	functions, including a small motion of the DOB
	(deployable optical bench).  At this point, these
	activities should be occurring at roughly 9:00 - 10:00.

	Near-term plans:

	The orbit re-boost will take place this evening, just prior
	to the start of the last planned EVA.  During this EVA the
	SADE-1 will be replaced, the GHRS redundancy kit will be
	installed, the magnetometer caps will be installed, and the
	solar arrays will be deployed.
	

Re talkative Tom:

Yes, it was pretty funny.  I think maybe it was mostly his voice from inside the
orbiter that was babbling on a lot the night before as well.

BTW, I thought it was pretty interesting that just as they have a "CapCom" on
the ground who does all the communication with the folks on the shuttle, Storey
apparently acted as a "SuitCom", an astronaut in the shuttle who did all the
communication with the EVA astronauts.

Burns

    I got a kick out of Jeff Hoffman the previous night, when Storey
    Musgrave opened up the storage container to the WFPC-II and
    Jeff's hovering overhead on the RMS ready to take it. Hoffman says 
    in his best gravely voice... "Ohhh look at that baby!"
    
    Bob

			SM Report #8

	5:00 PM December 8	342:22:00

	
	Summary of recent activities:

	During the day today the STOCC had planned
	to complete the co-processor functional test,
	recover the SIs from safe, and run the COSTAR
	functional test.  During the morning they
	started having a great deal of difficulty 
	getting reliable telemetry data.  At first, it
	appeared that the problem was associated with
	the communications path between HST and GSFC
	via the Endeavour.  Later it became apparent
	that the co-processor is interfering in some
	fashion with the DF224.  The nature of the 
	interference seems to be limited to the times
	when a  32 kbps telemetry format is in use.
	When the co-processor was powered down all 
	operations returned to normal.  The DF224 and
	co-processor engineers are reviewing the 
	data and trying to determine the source of the
	problem.  The DF224 has 3 internal memory 
	busses, A, B, and C.  The co-processor is dually
	redundant with an A and B sides.  The problem
	has occurred while running with the A buss.
	The current plan is to safe the SIs and switch
	from the A to B buss and see if the problem 
	stays or disappears.  

	Meanwhile, after the co-processor was shut down
	the COSTAR functional test was executed.  This
	test moved the DOB two inches from the launch
	position and tested the sensors on all the 
	mechanisms.  The test was completely successful.

	There has been much discussion in the last several
	hours about the plans for tonight's activities.
	I believe that we will proceed with the reboost as
	it should not be affected by any changes in the EVA 
	plans.  At this time it is not clear whether tonights
	EVA will proceed as planned, whether there will be any
	work on the DF224/co-proccessor, or whether they will
	take a day off to let things settle down and come
	up with a plan.  I have heard suggestions of all three
	in the last hour or so.

MISSION CONTROL CENTER
STS-61 Status Report #14
Wednesday, December 8, 1993, 7 p.m. CST

Mission Specialists Jeff Hoffman and Story Musgrave are expected to step
out of Endeavour's airlock and into the record books tonight as they make
STS-61 the first shuttle mission to include five space walks.

All of Endeavour's systems are working well, and the Corrective Optics
Space Telescope Axial Replacement unit passed its functional tests about
4 p.m. CST.

However, controllers at the Space Telescope Operations Control Center at
the Goddard Space Flight Center have reported a loss of data lock on the
downlink telemetry from the Hubble Space Telescope's main flight computer
(DF-224). The telemetry issue arose after co-processor functional tests
had been completed with no initial problems.

The flight team has turned off the co-processor and formed a "Tiger Team"
to analyze vehicle telemetry to better understand the situation. All
activities originally scheduled for the upcoming EVA are still planned.
However, they have been rearranged to give Goddard engineers additional
time to study the anomaly.

Commander Dick Covey and Pilot Ken Bowersox will trigger a reaction
control system burn about 8:27 p.m. CST (MET 6/17:00) to circularize
Endeavour's orbit at 320 nautical miles and prepare for HST reboost and
release.

Before the space walk begins, the arms that attach the replacement solar
arrays to the side of the telescope will be lowered. Next, Hoffman and
Musgrave will replace the Solar Array Drive Electronics, which control
the array's ability to point toward the Sun and generate electricity to
power the telescope. That task is expected to take about an hour and a
half. Then, the space walkers will be lifted to the top of the telescope
to install multilayer insulation around two of the telescope's
magnetometers. Next, the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph Redundancy
Kit will be installed on the telescope, which should take about an hour.

Any activities related to the flight computer or the co-processor will be
performed between the magnetometer insulation and GHRS installations.

The crew began Flight Day 8 at 5:57 p.m. CST with a traditional Swiss
song chosen by Mission Specialist Claude Nicollier.

-----------------------------------

HST
1 20580U 90037B   93342.18224267  .00001976  00000-0  17144-3 0  3736
2 20580  28.4711  22.7168 0004834  74.5428 286.4012 14.92967518   864
STS 61
1 22917U 93075A   93341.60416667  .00000286  00000-0  19688-4 0   219
2 22917  28.4699  26.4384 0005644  80.6580  46.6994 14.92813976   787
HST Array
1 22920U 90037C   93341.24574881  .00016001  00000-0  14665-2 0    75
2 22920  28.4688  28.7427 0005369  44.8841 315.2030 14.93573373   723

It appears that the STS-61 crew beat the odds - all tasks are reported to
be complete and HST will be released tonight.

[I've got a real busy day, so perhaps someone else would like to comment on last
 night's activities]


- dave

I heard (via standard media channels, so consider the source) that they had
decided that the "co-processor problem" was related to telemetry, not the
coprocessor, and they did nothing.

Maybe we'll see more later.

Burns

    At what time is the HST release scheduled?
    
    Jamie

    Before I left the house this morning, I saw most of the morning
    briefing which started at 7:00am EST. they said that during the
    EVA last night that the HST control center did several down-load
    dumps and didn't see any re-occurence of the bit flip problem
    they previosly saw. The telemetry chain is a rather convoluted
    one and they believe that the data bit drop-out was caused by this.
    The one link in the telemetry chain is between the Shuttle and
    a ground station in New Mexico <I think they said>. This link is
    primarily for some shuttle-to-ground telemetry. What they initially
    did (according to one of the STS-61 reps at the briefing), was to have
    the telemetry link for the HST computer go through the shuttle link.
    What they said was because the high-gain antenna used for the shuttle
    telemetry was positioned and pointed to optimize its telemetry, the
    data stream from the HST computer was being received by the HSt control
    center from the same link. Because the shuttle high-gain antenna wasn't
    aimed to optimize receiving the computer by the HST control center
    they got this initial data drop-out.
    On when they plan to release the HST, someone at the briefing mentioned
    that it would be released early in the morning on Friday <believe they
    said at about 1:30am CST>.
    
    Bob

    I saw some video last night which was (for me anyhow) quite
    breathtaking. It was early in the EVA activity. They were swinging
    over Australia, and had the manipulator arm elbow camera pointed
    at the top � of the HST. In the background was the continent of
    Australia going by. The track took them over the northwest Australian
    coast, and along the Great Australian bight, going over Melbourne.
    The elbow camera seems to give much better color rendition than the
    corner service bay cameras do. the vivid colors of the Australian
    continent are quite vivid and varied. I had never seen the Australian
    continent before in any shuttle video, and was quite taken by the
    backdrop of Australia against the HST foreground. The colors in the
    interior sections of the Australia desert are quite beautiful even
    on a 21" color TV. Being up there and seeing it for real must be
    absolutely an awsome vista.
    
    Bob

			SM Report #8

	7:00 AM December 9	343:12:00

	
	Summary of recent activities:

	It has been a very busy day, but an extremely 
	successful day.  All the maintenance work on
	HST, every single item, has been successfully
	completed.  HST is now ready for re-deploy.

	First, it now appears that all
	of yesterday's concerns with the co-processor
	and the DF224 are now resolved and everything
	appears to be ok with them.  The problem seems
	to have been with the communications link from 
	the HST through the shuttle and to the ground.
	This data path was subject to interference and
	the result was memory dumps which implied erroneous
	DF-224 operation.  This diagnosis will be verified
	when we can get a direct communications link from
	HST to TDRSS, without going through the shuttle
	communications system.  This will likely occur
	after EVA 5 is completed.  The EVA operations take
	priority and they require orientations which preclude
	direct communications.

	The orbit reboost took place before EVA 5.  This 
	raised the HST orbit by about 7.5 km.  

	Jeff Hoffman and Story Musgrave were the crew for EVA 5.
	As the EVA was starting an attempt was made to move
	the solar array wings from parallel to the telescope 
	tube to perpendicular to the tube.  This was done by
	commanding from the STOCC.  There was too much mechanical
	resistance in the latches, so the arrays did not move.
	The decision was made to proceed with the SADE-1 
	installation and then manually deploy the arrays.

	The SADE-1 installation went slower than planned.
	The SADE is one of the boxes which was not designed
	to be orbit replaceable.  The crew had a little more
	trouble manipulating the many electrical cables than
	with boxes designed for on-orbit maintenance.  As the
	crew was closing up the door the STOCC ran the 
	aliveness test, which was successful.

	The astronauts then moved over to the solar arrays
	and used a manual procedure to rotate the booms
	perpendicular to the telescope tube.  This operation
	went well with no problems. 

	The GHRS was then powered down for the installation
	of the redundancy kit.  The doors were opened and 
	the kit, which consists of a small box and several 
	cable connectors, was installed.  The crew went
	on to close the large bay doors while the STOCC
	ran the aliveness check for the repair kit.  The
	aliveness test was successful and the crew had no
	trouble with doors.  This completed the pre-planned
	maintenance activities.

	The STOCC then commanded the latches for the HGAs
	to open.  This was successful, the HGAs will be 
	deployed later.

	The EVA crew then moved up to the forward end of the
	telescope to install the MLI caps over the old 
	magnetometers.  These are the caps which they manufactured
	yesterday using MLI recovered from the WFPC installation
	tool.  They should protect the old magnetometers from
	solar UV and atomic oxygen degradation.  They should
	also prevent any plates or material which does detach
	from floating around and getting into the HST.
	The TV images of the crew standing on the end
	of the RMS arm near the HST aperture door with Australia
	passing beneath them were particularly impressive.
	The installation of the caps went without incident.

	As the EVA crew was storing all their tools and 
	cleaning up the cargo bay the STOCC commanded
	the unrolling of the solar arrays.  The - array
	was deployed first and came out very smoothly.  The
	HST was then rotated 180 degrees and the + array 
	was unrolled very smoothly as well.  

	A quick functional test of the solar arrays was 
	successful.  The arrays were then rotated 90 degrees,
	controlled by the new SADE-1.  This slew started at
	sunrise and the power output of the arrays gradually
	increased as they became perpendicular to the sun.
	The batteries were charged and are ready for HST deploy.

	The HGAs (high gain antennas) were then both deployed
	with absolutely no problems.  


	Problems/Issues/Changes under consideration:

	NONE, everything is A-OK.

	Near-term plans:

	HST is ready for deploy.  The HST will be grappled
	by the RMS arm, raised out of the payload bay, the
	aperture door will be opened and then HST will be
	deployed.  The deploy should take place about 
	2:30 AM tommorrow morning.

MISSION CONTROL CENTER
STS-61 Status Report #15
8 a.m. CST Thursday, December 9, 1993

STS-61 space walking astronauts Story Musgrave and Jeff Hoffman got front
row seats to the successful deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope's
two solar arrays early Thursday during the mission's fifth and final
scheduled spacewalk.

The astronauts were in Space Shuttle Endeavour's payload bay after having
completed their scheduled tasks when, at the end of their seven hour and
21 minute spacewalk, the telescope's solar arrays were smoothly unfurled.
Today's spacewalk made STS-61 the first U.S. shuttle mission to include
five space walks. STS-61's four space walking crew members spent a total
of 35 hours and 28 minutes in Endeavour's payload bay.

A concern that developed Wednesday afternoon involving a loss of data
lock on downlink telemetry from the telescope's main flight computer (DF-
224) was resolved after scientists determined that the data glitch was
due to imprecise pointing of the shuttle's Ku-Band antenna at the
orbiting Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, which resulted in
intermittent interruptions in the telemetry and communication between the
telescope and ground controllers.

Thursday's spacewalk began at 9:30 p.m. CST Wednesday with the
replacement of the Solar Array Drive Electronics, which control the
arrays' ability to point toward the Sun and generate electricity to power
the telescope. Astronauts completed that installation about 1 a.m. CST
Thursday. Shortly afterwards, Musgrave gently pushed on each of the solar
arrays, giving them what they needed to unfold the solar wings' Primary
Deployment Mechanism which had stuck earlier in the crew's work day.

Hoffman and Musgrave completed the installation of the Goddard High
Resolution Spectrograph Redundancy Kit on the telescope about 2:30 a.m.
CST. Crew members then moved to the top of the telescope and installed
two mylar covers over the original magnetometers to contain any
contamination or debris that might come off the instrument and protect it
from ultraviolet degradation.

Shortly after that task and while perched on the shuttle's robot arm,
Musgrave paid tribute to the training team who worked with the crew in
preparation for this mission's spacewalks.

"You're in our hearts," Musgrave said. "You're in our heads. What we've
done and what we're going to do is simply a reflection on what you've
given us."

The space walking duo then received word from ground controllers that the
GHRS Kit had received a good health check.

"It'll make some of my astronomy friends happy," said Hoffman, an
astronomer himself. "Great, great news."

Solar array deploy operations began about 4:05 a.m. CST. The deployment
of the first solar array was complete in about five minutes. The
deployment of the second array began about 4:30 a.m. CST and it too was
complete in about five minutes.

The slight twisting of one solar array was expected and attributed to
manufacturing  tolerance and residual stress that managers believe will
ease after the telescope has completed a couple of orbits.

Musgrave and Hoffman ended their spacewalk about 4:51 a.m. CST. Ground
controllers reported that the refurbished telescope's two High Gain
Antennas were deployed about 5:55 a.m. CST.

During a 6 a.m. CST press briefing, project managers reported that the
SADE aliveness and functional test was nearly complete and that
everything looked good so far.

Crew members will begin their sleep period at 9:57 a.m. CST and will
awaken at 5:57 p.m. today. Hubble's aperture door will be opened a few
minutes before the telescope is released from Endeavour's payload bay to
begin about a 13-week comprehensive checkout and continue on its
scientific gathering journey. Hubble's release is scheduled to occur at
1:08 a.m. CST Friday.

All systems on board the shuttle continue to perform well as Endeavour
circles the Earth every 95 minutes in a 321 by 320 nautical mile orbit.
 

re Note 857.92 by PRAGMA::GRIFFIN:

> After Hubble is rotated on its lazy Susan and the STOCC turns off the
> telescope's computer, the two space walkers will turn their attention to
> increasing its speed and memory with the installation of a 386
> coprocessor. 

        Did they apply the "Intel Inside" logo?

  Why would they install a 386? You'd think they'd go with at least a 486 if
not a Pentium.

  George

Probably not a radiation hardened part available 2 years ago when the 
coprocessor was designed/built. They want a proven part in the design. 
This is why the 386 is an upgrade!

<<I have obtained the author's permission to post this mail message>>

                    -----------------------------------
From:	MPSG::OFFNER "Carl Offner" 10-DEC-1993 14:32:23.74
To:	chirpa::crabb, hpcgrp::appalaraju, hpcgrp::celmaster, hpcgrp::chase, hpcgrp::chen, ics::barker_e, ics::barker_j, ics::curtin_p, mpsg::benson, mpsg::bircsak, mpsg::bolduc, mpsg::marco_a, mpsg::pcameron, nicctr::anderson
CC:	
Subj:	Talk on Hubble telescope


I will be giving a talk next Tuesday, December 14 on the story behind
the Hubble telescope--how it was constructed, what happened; why
it had to be fixed; how good it was ... I happen to know a lot
about this because my father was the chief optical designer
for Perkin-Elmer, which made the main mirror.  I think the
talk will be of general interest, and will cover a lot of
information not generally known.

The talk will be from 12-1PM in the Dan Cook Conference Room,
PKO3-2/pole 26C.

Be there and you can go home and amaze your friends with your
knowledge of optics.

			--Carl Offner

% ====== Internet headers and postmarks (see DECWRL::GATEWAY.DOC) ======
% Received: by mpsg.hpc.pko.dec.com; id AA15992; Fri, 10 Dec 93 14:32:43 -0500
% From: offner (Carl Offner)
% Received: by hardy.hpc.pko.dec.com; id AA09813; Fri, 10 Dec 1993 14:31:20 -0500
% Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1993 14:31:20 -0500
% Message-Id: <[email protected]>
% To: chirpa::crabb, hpcgrp::appalaraju, hpcgrp::celmaster, hpcgrp::chase, hpcgrp::chen, ics::barker_e, ics::barker_j, ics::curtin_p, mpsg::benson, mpsg::bircsak, mpsg::bolduc, mpsg::marco_a, mpsg::pcameron, nicctr::ander
% Subject: Talk on Hubble telescope

MISSION CONTROL CENTER
STS-61 Status Report #16
Thursday, December 9, 1993, 7 p.m. CST

With a successful space-walking work week over, the STS-61 crew is 
scheduled to part company with the Hubble Space Telescope early Friday. 

Release is scheduled for 1:13 a.m. CST Friday (MET 7/21:46), but Space 
Telescope Operations Control Center workers are investigating some 
conflicting data relating to the operation of an HST data interface unit 
that monitors telemetry from the telescope's subsystems. In the meantime, 
shuttle flight controllers have delayed a planned maneuver so that HST's 
solar arrays can remain pointed at the Sun. 

When the "go" for redeploy is given, the STOCC will prepare HST for 
grapple by loading navigation tables into its computer, powering down its 
solar arrays and powering up its reaction wheel assemblies and magnetic 
torquers. 

About 10 minutes later, Mission Specialist Claude Nicollier will grapple 
the telescope with Endeavour's robot arm. Forty minutes after that, the 
crew inside Endeavour will command the shuttle's electrical umbilical to 
disconnect from HST, and open the berthing latches holding HST on the 
cargo bay Flight Support System. Nicollier will raise HST out of the 
payload bay into release position. 

Half an hour later, STOCC controllers will command HST's aperture door to 
open, which is a 33-minute-long activity. Final release preparations will 
take another half hour. 

Immediately after Nicollier releases the robot arm's grapple fixture, 
Commander Dick Covey and Pilot Ken Bowersox will fire Endeavour's small 
maneuvering jets and move the shuttle slowly away from the revitalized 
and reboosted orbiting observatory. Another engine firing 20 minutes 
later will increase the rate of separation. 

Flight controllers awakened the crew at 5:57 p.m. CST Thursday for Flight 
Day 9 with the song "Hard Day's Night," by The Beatles. 

All systems on board the shuttle continue to perform well as Endeavour 
circles the Earth every 96 minutes in a 321 by 320 nautical mile orbit. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mission Control Center
STS-61 Status Report #17
Friday, December 10, 1993, 8:30 a.m. CST

The STS-61 crew bid farewell to the Hubble Space Telescope with a 
successful, but slightly delayed, deploy early this morning. The 
following is a summary of the day's events, and all times given are in 
Central Standard Time. 

At 4:27 a.m., Claude Nicollier sent commands to open the berthing latches 
on the end effector of Endeavour's robot arm to release HST in free 
flight for the first time since it was captured for repair last Saturday. 
Following the release, Commander Dick Covey and Pilot Ken Bowersox 
performed two small separation burn maneuvers to gently move Endeavour 
away from HST at a rate of about 1-foot-per-second. 

Almost immediately upon release, the HST solar arrays acquired the sun 
and HST communicated directly through the TDRS communication satellite.  
The telescope's aperture door fully opened about 45 minutes prior to the 
deploy. 

The release came nearly three-and-one-half hours later than originally 
planned due to erratic data telemetry from an HST subsystems monitor.  
Overnight, one of four Data Interface Units that monitors Hubble 
engineering telemetry and commands some telescope functions experienced 
dropouts and conflicting readings.  Each DIU has two-sided redundancy, 
and telescope controllers at the Space Telescope Operations Control 
Center found data errors occurring only in Side A of DIU-2, but no 
problems with the command capability. Controllers switched the DIU to its 
Side B function with full command and telemetry capabilities.  The 
problematic Side A will be used as a backup system with only a slight 
degradation in its capability.  Hubble has experienced this type of 
telemetry problem before and it is not related to any STS-61 servicing 
work or equipment. 

President Clinton and Vice President Gore congratulated the STS-61 crew 
on a successful servicing mission in a 15-minute phone call from the Oval 
Office at about 7:35 a.m.  The president told the astronauts that this 
was "one of the most spectacular space missions in all of our history. We 
are all so proud of you...I want to thank each and every one of you for 
what you did. You made it look easy."  President Clinton called the HST 
servicing mission "an immense boost to the space program in general and 
to America's continuing venture in space." 

The crew begins an eight-hour sleep period just before 10 a.m. The space 
"fix-it" team will sleep in and have a much deserved day off.  Landing is 
still scheduled for Monday at 1:08 a.m. at KSC, weather permitting.  
Endeavour has enough consumables on-board to stay in orbit for at least 
one-and-a-half days longer than planned, if necessary. 

All Endeavour systems continue to perform excellently as the orbiter 
circles every 96 minutes approximately 320 nautical miles above Earth. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MISSION CONTROL CENTER
STS-61 Status Report #18
Friday, December 10, 1993, 7 p.m. CST

Flight controllers on the ground let the seven-member crew of Endeavour 
sleep in Friday evening, providing a welcome respite for the Hubble Space 
Telescope servicing team. 

The official flight plan called for the crew members to be awakened at 
5:57 p.m. CST, but before signing off for the night, spacecraft 
communicator Greg Harbaugh told them that ground controllers would wait 
for them to call down following their sleep shift. 

Schedulers have planned a light day for the hard-working crew. The most 
significant activites planned are repressurizing of the crew cabin to 
14.7 pounds per square inch and a simultaneous supply and waste water 
dump scheduled to begin at 8:57 p.m. CST (MET 8/17:30). 

Landing remains scheduled for 1:08 a.m. Monday at Kennedy Space Center in 
Florida, weather permitting. Endeavour has enough consumables on-board to 
stay in orbit for at least one-and-a-half days longer, if necessary. 

All Endeavour systems continue to perform well as the orbiter circles 
every 96 minutes approximately 320 nautical miles above Earth. 

Mission Control Center
STS-61 Status Report #19
Saturday, December 11, 1993, 7 a.m. CST

Endeavour's crew spent the day watching the world go by as flight 
controllers on the ground had a less hectic day preparing for Monday's 
scheduled landing.  Highlights of the rest day in space follow with all 
times given in Central Standard Time. 

As many people do on the weekend, the astronauts slept in two hours, 
sending a good morning call to Mission Control at about 8 p.m.  Flight 
controllers returned greetings with Willie Nelson's "Don't Let Your 
Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys." 

Commander Dick Covey said he observed "the brightest morning star" he had 
ever seen which was the Hubble Space Telescope, reflected in sunlight, 
trailing behind the orbiter. HST currently is flying about 1 nautical 
mile above and 76 nautical miles behind Endeavour at a separation speed 
of approximately 4 nautical miles each orbit.  The old HST solar array 
that Kathy Thornton jettisoned during the second space walk, is about 
2200 nautical miles in front of Endeavour, moving ahead at about 45 
nautical miles per orbit.  HST is working fine, according to ground 
controllers. 

The crew had just a few chores to do on the planned day off.  The 
astronauts recorded some IMAX large format camera views of the Earth, 
repressurized the crew cabin back to 14.7 pounds-per-square-inch,  
performed a supply and waste water dump, and conducted additional space 
suit evaluations.  Claude Nicollier tucked the Endeavour's robot arm away 
in the payload bay after a very active workout during the mission.  
Mission Control also faxed up some "Sunday comics" for entertainment, 
although the crew spent most of their free time doing what astronauts 
love best, observing the Earth from their unique vantage point in space. 

The crew will go to sleep around 9 a.m. and wake up shortly before 5 p.m. 
to begin their 11th and last scheduled day in space.  About three hours 
later, Covey and Pilot Ken Bowersox will turn on Endeavour's back-up and 
flight control systems, running checks for Monday's return to Earth.  
Around 9:42 p.m., Covey will also practice his landing techniques using 
the Portable Inflight Landing Operations Trainer, called PILOT. 

A crew news conference is scheduled for just after midnight Sunday, 
followed by a congratulatory call for Nicollier from the Swiss Minister 
of Internal Affairs Ruth Dreifuss.  A news conference with European 
journalists will follow.  

Weather so far looks favorable for Monday's 1:08 a.m. landing at KSC.  
The deorbit burn is scheduled for 11:58 p.m. Sunday.  All Endeavour 
systems continue to perform well as the orbiter circles every 96 minutes, 
approximately 320 nautical miles above Earth. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mission Control Center
STS-61 Status Report #20
Saturday, December 11, 1993, 10:30 a.m. CST

While the STS-61 crew had a day off to relax, they will be coming home 
one orbit earlier than originally planned due to weather trends at KSC. 

Endeavour currently is scheduled to land at 11:26 p.m. CST Sunday, which 
is 12:26 a.m. EST Monday.  The deorbit burn will be performed at 10:16 
p.m. CST Sunday for the early end of mission landing opportunity.  

The change was made to maximize the chances for two landing opportunities 
at KSC on Flight Day 11.  Weather trends indicate that winds will 
increase at the nominal landing time of 1:08 a.m. CST Monday, and 
conditions are expected to worsen later in the morning.  Endeavour has 
enough consumables available to extend the mission at least another day, 
if necessary and could land at the backup site at Edwards Air Force Base, 
California if weather condition preclude a Florida landing. 

To accommodate the earlier landing time, the crew's sleep schedule will 
be shifted slightly.  The crew will wake up just before 5 p.m. CST today 
as planned, but go to sleep one hour earlier on Sunday around 8 a.m., 
with Sunday afternoon's wake-up call now coming at about 4 p.m. CST. 

Otherwise, the astronauts' schedule Sunday will continue much as planned.  
The crew will hold a news conference around midnight CST, followed by a 
congratulatory call for Claude Nicollier from the Swiss Minister of 
Internal Affairs Ruth Dreifuss.  A news conference with European 
journalists will follow. 

The crew had a relatively relaxing tenth flight day.  They investigated 
water system management techniques for the international space station by 
dumping waste and supply water simultaneously while a camera on the 
shuttle's robot arm monitored the progress, after which the arm was 
tucked away in the payload bay.  The crew also repressurized the orbiter 
to 14.7 pounds-per-square-inch as it is on Earth and spent the rest of 
their day off enjoying Earth views from space. 

Ground controllers report that the Hubble Space Telescope is in fine 
shape and moving away from Endeavour at a rate of about 4 nautical miles 
per orbit.  All systems on Endeavour continue to perform well as the 
orbiter circles every 96 minutes, approximately 320 miles above Earth. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mission Control Center
STS-61 Status Report #21
Sunday, December 12, 1993, 7 a.m. CST

The STS-61 crew spent their last full day in space on clean-up chores in 
preparation for tonight's scheduled landing at KSC.  The following is a 
summary of the today's mission highlights, with all times given in 
Central Standard Time unless otherwise indicated. 

The first KSC landing opportunity will be at 11:26 p.m. tonight, which is 
12:26 a.m. EST Monday.  The landing time was moved up by 90 minutes to 
allow for two landing opportunities at the Cape due to a forecast of 
degrading weather conditions later in the morning.  A second opportunity 
at KSC exists at 1:08 a.m. Monday.  If the weather does not cooperate 
today, plans are to delay landing until Tuesday, when two landing 
opportunities exist both at KSC and Edwards Air Force Base, California. 

After sleeping in a little longer Saturday afternoon, the astronauts 
awoke to another Willie Nelson favorite, "My Heroes Have Always Been 
Cowboys." 

Commander Dick Covey and Pilot Ken Bowersox conducted the pre-landing 
checkouts of Endeavour and turned on three hydraulic power units to test 
flight control systems for entry.  Covey and Bowersox also practiced 
simulated landings at KSC using a laptop computer software called PILOT. 

The crew participated in a news conference early Sunday morning and told 
reporters that their intense training really paid off and that they were 
proud of their role in demonstrating a sophisticated level of on-orbit 
servicing capability.  Later, Mission Specialist Jeff Hoffman shared 
Hanukkah festivities with his crew mates by spinning small top, a 
traditional holiday toy called a dreidel, in microgravity.  Claude 
Nicollier snacked on a candy Hubble Space Telescope made from Swiss 
chocolate.  The rest of the day was spent stowing equipment for the trip 
home and for some final sightseeing of Earth. 

The crew went to sleep shortly before 8 a.m. and will wake up around 4 
p.m. to start deorbit preparations and unstowing of their pressure suits.  
The deorbit burn for the first landing pass is planned for 10:15 p.m.  
Endeavour will glide across Mexico and the Gulf, crossing the west coast 
of Florida just north of Tampa and making its final left hand turn over 
Orlando for the final approach to the mile-long Runway 15 at KSC.  This 
will be the seventh night landing in the shuttle program, and the second 
night landing at KSC. 

Endeavour continues to perform well as the orbiter circles every 96 
minutes more than 300 miles above Earth. 

The mission ended very early this morning with a touchdown at KSC.

Everyone commenting on the mission seemed pleased.


- dave

                	SM Report #10 (R. Doxsey/STScI)

	7:00 AM December 10	344:12:00

	
	Summary of recent activities:

	HST is on it's own again, better than ever.  The Endeavour
	crew, the JSC staff, and the GSFC staff have performed
	magnificently during this mission, which has been one
	of the most challenging in recent manned spaceflight
	history. I have heard several press conference comments 
	about how "lucky" the mission has been, but chance is a small
	factor compared to the design, preparation, training, 
	and professional spirit that has gone into this mission.


	The final checks on the DF224 were made yesterday with
	the successful receipt of complete memory dumps through
	a clean telemetry link.  The problems we had two days
	ago are now clearly all related to the poor communications
	link quality.

	During the day on Thursday several anomolous telemetry
	readings appeared in scattered locations. One of these
	was an FOC RIU relay, which suddenly started indicating
	that the RIU was off.  There was other telemetry available
	which proved that this "off" reading was erroneous.  There
	were similar problems with some electrical power system
	telemetry points, some of which are used in safemode tests.
	After some analysis it was decided to switch from orbiter
	power to HST internal power and then to switch from the 
	A side of DIU 2 to the B side of DIU 2.  When this was done
	the erroneous telemetry points cleared up and reported 
	proper readings.  When we switched back to the A side the
	erroneous readings returned.  We returned to the B side for
	deployment.  The initial analysis indcates that there may
	be two bad electronics cards in DIU 2A.  
	
	The time required to analyze this problem and switch sides
	in the DIU required a two orbit delay in the deploy of HST.

	The HST was grappled by the RMS arm and the latches holding
	the HST to the shuttle were released.  Claude Nicollier, 
	operating the RMS arm, then moved the HST first to the 
	"low hover" position just above the FSS fixture, then to the
	"high hover" position well above the payload bay.  The STOCC
	then went through the final HST preparations for deploy.
	The aperture door was then opened and the HST released by
	the RMS.  The shuttle pilots then carefully maneuvered the
	Endeavour safely away from HST.  The release went well with
	no sign of any Endeavour manuevering jet plumes hitting HST.
	The Endeavour and HST are now more than two miles apart,
	with the distance continuing to increase.  

	Shortly after release the HST entered software sunpoint
	mode as planned.  The PCS (pointing control system) quickly
	captured the sun and HST communications were shifted from
	the Shuttle link to a direct HSt-TDRSS link.  HST is now
	in a fairly standard safemode situation, one which we have
	recovered from numerous times in the past.

	After nine days in the shop, HST is on its own again in
	better shape then ever.  It's our turn now, to get the 
	optics aligned, demonstrate the full scientific capability
	of the HST, and get lots of spectacular data for the GOs and
	GTOs.  

	Problems/Issues/Changes under consideration:

	NONE

	Near-term plans:

	The HST was released essentially into a +V3 software sunpoint
	mode.  It will stay in this mode for about 30 hours, during
	which various flight software reconfigurations will be done
	and data on the power and gyros will be obtained.  It gives	
	the STOCC a quiet period to verify that all systems are working
	as planned.  A 48 hour "Health and Safety" SMS will begin
	saturday afternoon.  This will establish down-link contact
	through the HGAs and provide opportunities to verify the
	pointing orientation with the FHSTs, measure gyro drift
	rates and determine if the new Solar Arrays give any jitter
	during day/night transitions.  The first STScI SMS begins 
	execution at 4:00 PM local time on Monday afternoon.  
	This sequence of safemode, followed by H&S SMS, followed
	by STScI SMS is similar to normal safemode recoverys, with
	24 hours more in the H&S portion.

	The SMOV period (Servicing Mission Observatory Verfication)
	begins with the start of the first STScI SMS.  The first
	week or so in this period will be spent verifying that 
	basic HST capabilities have not been compromised during the
	servicing mission.  We will calibrate the gyro alignments
	and then verify that slews, FHST updates, and guide star 	
	acquisitions still work.  Basic functionality tests will
	be run on each SI using internal observations.  We will
	verify (or measure) the alignments between the FGSs and
	the SIs and then carry out absolute sensitivity tests with
	each of the old SIs.  This will demonstrate any degradation
	(not expected) during the shuttle phase and will provide
	a baseline before COSTAR deployment.  After these activities
	the initial WFPC-II and COSTAR activations and alignments
	will start.  

	I will continue with these reports for several weeks, 
	although they may become less frequent than daily as 
	we get into more routine operations.

I will be posting any subsequent reports on HST under its note, as any
further status is not really connected to the STS-61 mission.


- dave

Article: 5948
From: [email protected] (IRENE BROWN, UPI Science Writer)
Newsgroups: clari.tw.space,clari.tw.aerospace,clari.news.hot.east_europe
Subject: Endeavour ends successful flight with nighttime Florida landing
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 93 0:16:25 PST
 
	CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (UPI) -- The shuttle Endeavour and its seven
astronauts returned Monday from an orbital house call to the Hubble
Space Telescope, touching down just five miles from where they left
Earth 11 days ago.

	The ambitious mission's success left NASA managers elated.

	``There's no product more valuable than inspiration and knowledge,
and this mission inspired us all,'' said NASA astrophysics director
Daniel Weedman.

	Added space flight chief Jeremiah Pearson: ``At this point, I can say
we've got a terrific success.''

	Endeavour's fifth flight ended, like it began, in darkness, with
four-time shuttle veteran Richard Covey at the controls. He steered the
spaceship through starlit skies, slicing over the Gulf of Mexico and
Florida's west coast before circling over the Atlantic Ocean in a final
roll to burn off speed.

	As Endeavour slowed to the speed of sound, twin booms punctured the
still of night, heralding its arrival. Covey eased the 100-ton orbiter
onto Kennedy Space Center's narrow, water-lined runway, touching down at
12:25 a.m. EST (0525 gmt).

	The mission involved an unprecedented five spacewalks to repair and
upgrade the productive but ailing observatory.

	Working in pairs on alternate days, astronauts Tom Akers, Jeffrey
Hoffman, Story Musgrave and Kathryn Thornton swapped Hubble's defective
solar array panels, installed new positioning gyroscopes, replaced a key
wide-field and planetary camera, upgraded Hubble's computers, and --
astronomers hope -- corrected the telescope's mirror flaw.

	``This mission laid the basis for tremendous leaps in our knowledge
of the universe. You left us with a telescope that's 10 times more
valuable than it was before. I promise we will do great things with it,''
Weedman said.

	Astronomers want to use the more powerful telescope:

	--to determine the age of the Universe;

	--to study matter that might be disappearing into black holes; and,

	--to look at extremely distant galaxies.

	However, the scientists' wish-list must wait at least two months,
while engineers determine if the newly installed optical devices cured
Hubble's myopia -- the result of a manufacturing flaw in the telescope's
primary mirror.

	Meanwhile, NASA's attention shifts to the first cooperative space
shuttle mission with the Russians. Shuttle Discovery, with Russian
cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev and five American crewmates, is scheduled to
lift off Jan. 27 on an eight-day space research flight.

	It will be the first of five to 10 cooperative missions with the
Russians, leading up to a permanent space station partnership.

	The Endeavour crew also included co-pilot Ken Bowersox and Swiss
astronaut Claude Nicollier, who operated the shuttle's robot arm.

Article: 2092
From: [email protected] (IRENE BROWN, UPI Science Writer)
Newsgroups: clari.tw.space,clari.tw.aerospace,clari.news.gov.agency
Subject: Endeavour wraps up successful flight with nighttime Florida landing
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 93 22:05:46 PST
 
	CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (UPI) -- The shuttle Endeavour and its seven
astronauts returned Monday from an orbital house call to the Hubble
Space Telescope, touching down just five miles from where they left
Earth 11 days ago.

	``Wheels stop, Houston. We're back,'' shuttle commander Richard Covey
told controllers as he stopped the orbiter in darkness on the Florida
runway.

	``Thank you for the flawless flight. We look forward to using (the
Hubble Space Telescope)...to see further into our universe than ever
before. Thanks for your great work. Welcome home,'' responded astronaut
Kevin Chilton, speaking from NASA's Mission Control center in Houston.

	Covey steered the 100-ton spaceship through clear starlit skies,
slicing over the Gulf of Mexico and Florida's west coast before circling
over the Atlantic Ocean in a final roll to burn off speed.

	As Endeavour slowed to the speed of sound, twin booms punctured the
still of night, heralding the spaceship's arrival. Covey, a four-time
shuttle veteran, aligned the spaceship, then gently eased Endeavour onto
Kennedy Space Center's narrow, water-lined runway, touching down at
12:25 a.m. EST (0525 gmt).

	The mission was the most complex shuttle flight ever attempted by
NASA, involving an unprecedented five spacewalks to repair and upgrade
the productive but ailing observatory.

	Working in pairs on alternate days, astronauts Tom Akers, Jeffrey
Hoffman, Story Musgrave and Kathryn Thornton methodically swapped
Hubble's flawed and defective solar array panels, installed new
gyroscopes for positioning, replaced a key wide-field and planetary
camera with an upgraded unit, enhanced Hubble's computer systems, and --
astronomers hope -- corrected the telescope's famed mirror flaw by
inserting a box of mirrors to refocus light.

	The spacewalks required intricate, well-rehearsed maneuvers by not
only the astronauts in the cargo bay, but also by flight engineer and
Swiss astronaut Claude Nicollier, who gently ferried the spacewalkers
around on the end of the shuttle's 50-foot-long mechanical crane.

	Whether the corrective optics installed during the mission will cure
Hubble's myopia will not be known for about two months, following a
checkout of telescope systems and a painstaking alignment of the new
mirrors with the science instruments.

	Meanwhile, NASA's attention shifts to the first cooperative space
shuttle mission with the Russians. Shuttle Discovery, with Russian
cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev and five American crewmates, is scheduled to
lift off Jan. 27 on an eight-day space research flight.

Article: 16872
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
From: [email protected] (Gerald G. Marfoe)
Subject: Swiss Chocolate HST
Sender: [email protected] (News Account)
Organization: Auburn University Engineering
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1993 11:13:42 GMT
 
In case anyone didn't catch this "highlight" on NASA Select last night
(about 1 or 2 a.m. Sunday), Claude Nicollier brought out a model of
the HST which was entirely made of Swiss chocolate. The solar panels
were made of white chocolate, and the main body was regular chocolate.
He spun it around a bit, saying that it wasn't quite as stable as the
real HST, while Jeff Hoffman and Tom Akers looked on. What happened
next was a riot! :-) 
 
Nicollier took a bite out of one of the solar panels, starting an
astronaut feeding frenzy ;-). CAPCOM Susan Helms said, "we're
speechless!" Looks like Jeff Hoffman got most of one of the "solar
panels", then Ken Bowersox dived in and bit off a piece of the
"barrel", and before long, not much was left of the chocolate HST.
Betcha this makes the STS-61 highlight film/video that the astronauts
will carry around to show! 
 
The crew of STS-61 has taken the art of playing with food to new heights! ;-)
---
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gerald G. Marfoe                    |"Mirabile visu. Mirabilia/Et itur ad astra
InterNet: [email protected]    |... Suus cuique mos. Suum cuique.../
          [email protected]   |Memento, terrigena./Memento, vita brevis."
                                    |- "Afer Ventus", Enya, "Shepherd Moons"
 

Article: 16870
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
From: [email protected] (Gerald G. Marfoe)
Subject: STS-61 EVA Durations/Records
Sender: [email protected] (News Account)
Organization: Auburn University Engineering
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1993 10:44:37 GMT
 
I haven't seen anyone else summarize the STS-61 EVA duration times yet, 
so here are some that I've compiled, based upon Mission Control Center
status reports and NASA Select TV commentary.
 
Astronauts                EVA      Duration (Hours:Minutes)
__________                ___      ________________________
 
Hoffman & Musgrave         1                 7:54
Thornton & Akers           2                 6:36
Hoffman & Musgrave         3                 6:47
Thornton & Akers           4                 6:50
Hoffman & Musgrave         5                 7:21
                                            _____
Total STS-61 EVA Time                       35:28
 
Astronauts Tom Akers, Story Musgrave and Jeff Hoffman now respectively
hold the top three cumulative EVA duration times for all spacewalkers.
Kathy Thornton is "not far behind", according to Mission Control. She
has extended her lead as the female EVA duration record-holder in the 
world (the Russians have only had one female cosmonaut EVA so far, 
I think). These are the STS-61 crew EVA durations, with a couple of
former records held by Gene Cernan and Jerry Ross, for comparison:
 
Astronaut                 Cumulative EVA (Hr:Min)     
_________                 _______________________
 
Tom Akers                          29:40
Story Musgrave                     26:21
Jeff Hoffman                       25:12
Gene Cernan                        24:14 (Previous All-EVA recordholder)
Jerry Ross                         22:49 (Previous STS EVA recordholder)
Kathy Thornton                     21:11
 
Feel free to correct me if you see any errors. Does anyone know how
the Russian EVA times compare?
 
Congratulations to the STS-61 crew and NASA on a successful first 
HST Servicing Mission! Now that the public's interested, keep
the momentum going for Space Station!
---
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gerald G. Marfoe                    |"Mirabile visu. Mirabilia/Et itur ad astra
InterNet: [email protected]    |... Suus cuique mos. Suum cuique.../
          [email protected]   |Memento, terrigena./Memento, vita brevis."
                                    |- "Afer Ventus", Enya, "Shepherd Moons"
 

A FIDO provides some answers and details on the jettison decision
and maneuver...  (ain't networks great?)

- dave

Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
From: Bill Tracy
Subject: HST Solar Array Jettison
Organization: NASA-Johnson Space Center
Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1993 15:49:39 GMT

>Several people have suggested throwing the panel toward earth as a
>means of getting it to re-enter faster. This will lower the panel's
>perigee (and thus perhaps its rate of orbital decay) but not its
>average altitude. The apogee will be increased.
>
>I and a few others suggested throwing the panel rearward to lower its
>kinetic energy, and thus lower its orbit. This has the effect of
>lowering the perigee without raising the apogee. 
>
>Now as far as orbital decay is concerned, it's probably a fairly safe
>assumption that apogee is far less important than perigee. The real
>issue is, starting from a circular orbit, exactly what angle would you
>have to throw the panel (somewhere between straight down and straight
>back) in order to produce the lowest perigee, all other orbital
>characteristics being unimportant?
>

I have read quite a bit concerning the recent solar array
jettison from the Hubble Space Telescope. Many attempt to
optimize the jettison direction into minimizing the time it 
takes for the array to re-enter. After enough letters, 
I feel compelled to respond as to why the procedure
was performed the way it was. Let me first identify myself 
as Bill Tracy. I was one of three flight dynmaics officers
in mission control who had the responsibility of all 
trajectory related events.

The procedure was first developed during a mission
simulation back in October. During the sim, I called upon
all areas of the flight control team to provide inputs to the
procedure and to pull together a workable plan for the
case of a solar array jettison. Ultimately, this procedure
went through a few changes prior to flight but remained
relatively unchanged. 

In reality, the array was simply let go and the Orbiter
performed two small posigrade maneuvers to develop an 
adequate opening rate that would keep the Orbiter clear 
of the array for the mission duration. Going posigrade, 
the orbiter would phase above and behind the array which
is good since the array will decay faster than the orbiter 
thus keeping it front. No consideration was made to minimize
the time it takes for the array to re-enter. The ONLY
consideration is for the safety of the crew and the Orbiter. 
As it turned out, the +Z jets used to perform the manuevers
gave the array a little extra push retorgrade (data shows
a total of 4 fps opening rate) thus providing even more 
of an opening rate (about 5 nm/orbit). 

Why not "throw" the array radial? First of all, throwing 
an array is not a reliable procedure full of variables 
that cannot be anticipated. Variables like actual jettison
velocity, direction, etc. as wellas the possibility of
hitting the Orbiter, another crewmember, or even herself 
are just too hard to deal with. Besides, if everything 
goes as planned, a radial push will put the array right 
back with the Orbiter one orbit (and every orbit) 
thereafter. (Out-of plane motion is even worse as the array
will be back with you twice every orbit). Not a good 
scenario thus requring additional collision avoidance
maneuvers which takes additional propellant (which we
didn't have a lot of either). Therefore, the optimium 
direction for the array to be jettisoned (wrt to the Orbiter)
is retrograde. This provides a continuous opeing rate 
that increases with time due to higher drag characteristics
of the array. 

After all this, and you still wanted to throw the array
overboard, throwing it retrograde will provide the lowest
perigee after the fact (assuming a circular orbit).

Sure, there's lots of junk floating around in orbit. My
support folks at NORAD catalog thousands that could
impact the Orbiter - and yes there were a few times when 
orbiting debris came close to the Orbiter. However, as is the
case for all jettisons, once the articles are gone and the
Orbiter has obtained a satisfactory opening rate, the article
will be cataloged and left to the folks at USSPACECOM to
keep track of it. By the way, latest predictions show the
array staying in orbit for 1.5 to 2 years now.

**********************************************************
DM42/William H. Tracy
NASA - Johnson Space Center
(713) 483-0516
wtracy%[email protected] (Office)
[email protected] (Home)
**********************************************************

Article: 3777
From: [email protected] (AP)
Newsgroups: clari.local.florida,clari.tw.space,clari.news.interest
Subject: Hubble Crew Gets Freedom Award
Date: Wed, 23 Feb 94 16:20:14 PST
 
	CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- The seven astronauts who repaired
the Hubble Space Telescope in December were named Wednesday as
recipients of The Freedom Forum's Free Spirit Award.

	The Freedom Forum's highest honor recognizes those who embody
the principles of free press, free speech and free spirit.

	The Freedom Forum will award $250,000 in the astronauts' names
to a scholarship fund for dependents of NASA employees.

	``Watching the adventure of the Endeavour crew returned us to
the magic and wonderment that marked the early years of the space
program,'' said Al Neuharth, chairman of The Freedom Forum. ``These
seven courageous, highly skilled team members provided enough
real-life excitement on their 11-day mission to rival any
television or movie space thriller.''

	The mission, which featured five spacewalks, was commanded by
Richard Covey. The spacewalkers were Story Musgrave, Jeffrey
Hoffman, Tom Akers and Kathryn Thornton, and the other crew members
were Kenneth Bowersox and Claude Nicollier.

	Previous Free Spirit Award recipients include Terry Anderson, a
former Associated Press correspondent who was held hostage in
Lebanon for nearly seven years, and former Supreme Court Justices
William Brennan and Thurgood Marshall.

	The seven astronauts will receive the award at a dinner in
Houston on March 28.  The award was announced Wednesday by former
astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American in space and Apollo 14
commander, at a Freedom Forum dinner in Satellite Beach, Florida.

	The Freedom Forum is based in Arlington, Virginia.

Article: 19575
From: [email protected] (Julie Bixby)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: HST Mission Astronauts to guest on "Home Improvement" 5/18/94
Date: 3 May 1994 20:39:39 -0700
Organization: Coast Community College District, Costa Mesa, CA
 
Subject line says it all. The astronauts who worked on the December
HST repair mission will pay a visit to the ABC-TV series "Home Improvement" 
on the 5/18/94 episode. It is not known whether all or a few of the crew 
will appear. 
-- 
Julie Bixby                        Internet: [email protected]
Engage Romulan .sig cloaking device....

Sarah Keegan
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                      May 5, 1994
(Phone:  202/358-1547)

Jim Elliott
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
(Phone:  30l/286-6256)

Kyle Herring
Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
(Phone:  713/483-5111)

RELEASE: 94-72

HUBBLE TEAM TO RECEIVE COLLIER TROPHY

        The NASA Hubble Space Telescope Recovery Team will
receive the 1993 Robert J. Collier Trophy from the National
Aeronautic Association on May 6, 1994.  The citation will
honor the team "for outstanding leadership, intrepidity, and
the renewal of public faith in America's space program by the
successful orbital recovery and repair of the Hubble Space
Telescope."

        NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin said, "This 11-
member team represents the thousands of men and women across
the country and around the world who played a part in the
Hubble Space Telescope first servicing mission.  Their
accomplishments demonstrate the value of global teamwork,
comprehensive training and extensive rehearsal in preparing
for and executing critical missions."

        The HST Recovery Team is composed of Joseph Rothenberg,
previously Associate Director of Flight Projects, Goddard
Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.; Randy Brinkley, STS-61
Mission Director, Johnson Space Center (JSC), Houston; James
M. "Milt" Heflin, Jr., STS-61 Lead Flight Director, JSC;
Brewster H. Shaw, Jr., Director, Space Shuttle Operations,
NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.; and the members of the
STS-61 flight crew, commander Richard O. Covey, pilot Kenneth
D. Bowersox, and mission specialists Tom Akers, Jeffrey A.
Hoffman, F. Story Musgrave, Claude Nicollier (European Space
Agency), and Kathryn C. Thornton.

        The Robert J. Collier Trophy is widely considered the
most prestigious aeronautical award in America.