Newman

Dr James (Jim) Hansen Newman American Mission Specialist Astronaut. Born 16 October 1956.

Personal: Male, Married, three children. Born in Trust Territory, Pacific Islands, USA. PhD

Astronaut Career

Astronaut Group: NASA Group 13 - 1990. Active Entered space service: 17 January 1990. Number of Flights: 4.00. Total Time: 43.42 days. Number of EVAs: 6.00. Total EVA Time: 1.77 days.

NASA Official Biography

NAME: James H. Newman (Ph.D)

NASA Astronaut

PERSONAL DATA:

Born October 16, 1956, in the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, but considers San Diego, California, to be his hometown. Married to Mary Lee Pieper. One son. He enjoys hiking, soccer, softball, squash, and soaring. His mother, Ms. Ruth Hansen, and his father, Dr. William Newman, are both residents of San Diego. Her parents, Mr. & Mrs. Wylie Bernard Pieper, reside in Houston, Texas.

EDUCATION:

Graduated from La Jolla High School, San Diego, California in 1974; received a bachelor of arts degree in physics (graduated cum laude) from Dartmouth College in 1978, a master of arts degree and a doctorate in physics from Rice University in 1982 and 1984, respectively.

ORGANIZATIONS:

Member of the American Physical Society and Sigma Xi.

SPECIAL HONORS:

Awarded a Citation in Senior Thesis Research from Dartmouth College in 1978. Elected to Sigma Xi in 1980. Recipient of 1982-83 Texaco Fellowship, the Sigma Xi Graduate Merit Award in 1985, and 1988 NASA Superior Achievement Award. Selected by NASA JSC to attend the 1989 summer session of the International Space University in Strasbourg, France.

EXPERIENCE:

After graduating from Rice University in 1984, Dr. Newman did an additional year of post-doctoral work at Rice. His research interests are in atomic and molecular physics, specifically medium to low energy collisions of atoms and molecules of aeronomic interest. His doctoral work at Rice University was in the design, construction, testing, and use of a new position-sensitive detection system for measuring differential cross sections of collisions of atoms and molecules. In 1985, Dr. Newman was appointed as adjunct professor in the Department of Space Physics and Astronomy at Rice University. That same year he came to work at NASA's Johnson Space Center, where his duties included responsibility for conducting flight crew and flight control team training for all mission phases in the areas of Orbiter propulsion, guidance, and control. He was working as a simulation supervisor when selected for the astronaut program. In that capacity, he was responsible for a team of instructors conducting flight controller training.

Selected by NASA in January 1990, Dr. Newman began a year of astronaut candidate training in July 1990 and became an astronaut in July 1991. His technical assignments since then include: Astronaut Office Mission Support Branch where he was part of a team responsible for crew ingress/strap-in prior to launch and crew egress after landing; Mission Development Branch working on the Shuttle on-board laptop computers; Chief of the Computer Support Branch in the Astronaut Office, responsible for crew involvement in the development and use of computers on the Space Shuttle and Space Station. A veteran of two space flights (STS-51 in 1993 and STS-69 in 1995), Newman has logged over 496 hours in space.

On his first flight, Newman was a mission specialist on STS-51, which launched on September 12, 1993. During the ten-day flight, the crew of five aboard the Shuttle Discovery deployed the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) and the Orbiting and Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer on the Shuttle Pallet Satellite (ORFEUS/SPAS). Newman was responsible for the operation of the SPAS, was the backup operator for the RMS, and on flight day five conducted a seven-hour spacewalk with Carl Walz. The extravehicular activity (EVA) tested tools and techniques for use on future missions. In addition to working with numerous secondary payloads and medical test objectives, the crew successfully tested a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver to determine real-time Shuttle positions and velocities and completed a test routing Orbiter data to on-board laptop computers. After 158 orbits of the Earth in 236 hours, 11 minutes, the mission concluded on September 22, 1993, with the first night landing at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

Most recently, Newman was a mission specialist on STS-69 which launched on September 7, 1995. The crew successfully deployed and retrieved a SPARTAN satellite and the Wake Shield Facility (WSF). Also on board was the International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker payload, numerous secondary payloads, and medical experiments. Newman was responsible for the crew's science involvement with the WSF and was also the primary RMS operator on the flight, performing the WSF and EVA RMS operations. He also operated the on-orbit tests of the Ku-band Communications Adaptor, the Relative GPS experiment, and the RMS Manipulator Positioning Display. Endeavour landed at the Kennedy Space Center on September 18, 1995 after 171 orbits of the Earth in 260 hours, 29 minutes.

CURRENT ASSIGNMENT:

Newman will serve on the crew of STS-88, the first Space Shuttle mission to carry hardware to space for the assembly of the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for July 1998.

MAY 1997

Newman Spaceflight Log

12 September 1993 Flight: STS-51. Flight Up: STS-51. Flight Back: STS-51. Flight Time: 9.84 days.

7 September 1995 Flight: STS-69. Flight Up: STS-69. Flight Back: STS-69. Flight Time: 10.85 days.

3 December 1998 Flight: STS-88. Flight Up: STS-88. Flight Back: STS-88. Flight Time: 11.80 days.

1 March 2002 Flight: STS-109. Flight Up: STS-109. Flight Back: STS-109. Flight Time: 10.92 days.

Newman Chronology

17 January 1990 - NASA Astronaut Training Group 13 selected.. The group was selected to provide pilot, engineer, and scientist astronauts for space shuttle flights.. Qualifications: Pilots: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics. Advanced degree desirable. At least 1,000 flight-hours of pilot-in-command time. Flight test experience desirable. Excellent health. Vision minimum 20/50 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20 vision; maximum sitting blood pressure 140/90. Height between 163 and 193 cm.

Mission Specialists: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics and minimum three years of related experience or an advanced degree. Vision minimum 20/150 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20. Maximum sitting blood pressure of 140/90. Height between 150 and 193 cm.. Reported to the Johnson Space Center in late July 1990 to begin their year long training. Chosen from 1945 qualified applicants, then 106 finalists screened between September and November 1989.

12 September 1993 - STS-51. Assignment: Prime Crew. Flight: STS-51. Deployed and retrieved Orfeus-SPAS. During the EVA conducted tests in support of the Hubble Space Telescope first servicing mission and future EVAs, including Space Station assembly and maintenance. First night landing at KSC. Payloads: Advanced Communication Technology Sat-ellite (ACTS)/Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS), Orbiting Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer—Shuttle Pallet Satellite (ORFEUS-SPAS) with Remote IMAX Camera System (RICS), Limited Duration Space Environ-ment Candidate Materials Exposure (LDCE) (Beam Configuration C), Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG Block II), Chromosome and Plant Cell Division in Space (CHROMEX), High Resolution Shuttle Glow Spectroscopy-A (HRSGS-A), Auroral Photography Experiment-B (APE-B), Investigation into Polymer Membrane Processing (IPMP), Radiation Monitoring Equip-ment (RME-III), Air Force Maui Optical Site Cal-ibration Test (AMOS), IMAX In-Cabin Camera.

16 September 1993 - EVA STS-51-1. Assignment: EVA Crew. Flight: STS-51. Tested tools and techniques for extravehicular activity.

22 September 1993 - Landing of STS-51. Assignment: Return Crew. Flight: STS-51. STS-51 landed at 07:56 GMT.

7 September 1995 - STS-69. Assignment: Prime Crew. Flight: STS-69. Deployed and retrieved Spartan 201, WSF 2. Payloads: Wake Shield Facility (WSF) 2; Shuttle Pointed Autonomous Research Tool for As-tronomy (SPARTAN) 201; International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker (IEH)1; Inter-Mars Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter (ITEPC); Extravehicular Activity Development Flight Test (EDFT) 2; Capillary Pumped Loop (CAPL) 2/ getaway special (GAS) bridge assembly with five GAS payloads; Auroral Photography Experiment (APE) B; Biological Research in Canisters (BRIC); Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA), Configuration A; Electrolysis Perfor-mance Improvement Concept Study (EPICS); Space Tissue Loss (STL)/National Institutes of Health (NIH) Cells (C); Commercial Middeck Instrumentation Technology Associates Experiment (CMIX).

18 September 1995 - Landing of STS-69. Assignment: Return Crew. Flight: STS-69. STS-69 landed at 11:38 GMT.

16 November 1998 - ISS Status Report 1. With the first component of the International Space Station encapsulated in its nose fairing, a 180-foot long Russian Proton rocket was transported to its launch pad at dawn today at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakstan in preparation for liftoff Friday to begin assembly of the new complex.

With temperatures hovering around 28 degrees Fahrenheit, the Proton and the Zarya ...more...

30 November 1998 - ISS Status Report 9. Flight controllers in Moscow and Houston continued to monitor systems on the Zarya module during the weekend and prepare for the arrival of the Space Shuttle Endeavour and the Unity connecting node.

Zarya remains in excellent condition overall with only a few minor mechanical issues ...more...

2 December 1998 - ISS Status Report 10. Flight controllers in Moscow and Houston continue to monitor systems on the Zarya control module and briefed the STS-88 astronauts earlier today on its status on the eve of the launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to carry the second component of the International Space Station to orbit.

During the last two days, work has centered on monitoring Zarya's systems and uplinking ...more...

3 December 1998 - STS-88 Mission Status Report # 01. Flight: STS-88. The first International Space Station assembly mission was postponed for 24 hours when the brief 5-minute launch window ran out before flight controllers could fully analyze the cause of a master alarm that sounded inside the Space Shuttle Endeavour's crew cabin.

The next launch attempt is tentatively scheduled for 2:36 a.m. CST Friday.

With ...more...

4 December 1998 - STS-88. Assignment: Prime Crew. Flight: STS-88. First attempted launch of STS-88 was scrubbed at 09:03 GMT on December 3 due to a problem with a hydraulic system sensor. Launch came the next day, with Endeavour entering an initial 75 km x 313 km x 51.6 degree orbit. Half an orbit after launch, at 09:19 GMT, Endeavour fired its OMS engines to raise the orbit to 180 km x 322 km x 51.6 degree.

On December 5 at 22:25 GMT Nancy Currie unberthed the Unity space station node from the payload bay using the RMS arm. She then moved the Unity to a position docked to the Orbiter Docking System in the payload bay in readiness for assembly with the Russian-launched Zarya FGB ISS component. After rendezvous with the Zarya FGB module, on December 6 at 23:47 GMT Endeavour grappled Zarya with the robot arm, and at 02:07 GMT on December 7 it was soft docked to the PMA-1 port on Unity. After some problems hard dock was achieved at 02:48 GMT. Unity and Zarya then formed the core of the future International Space Station. Ross and Newman made three space walks to connect cables between Zarya and Unity, on December 7, 9 and 12. On the last EVA a canvas tool bag was attached to the exterior of Unity to provide tools for future station assembly workers. Docking cables were disconnected to prevent Unity and Zarya from inadvertently undocking. Following an internal examination of the embryonic space station, Endeavour undocked at 20:30 GMT on December 13. The SAC-A and Mightysat satellites were ejected from the payload bay on December 14 and 15. Deorbit burn was December 16 at 03:48 GMT, and Endeavour landed at 04:53:29 GMT, on Runway 15 at the Kennedy Space Center.

Payloads included:

Sill: RMS arm No. 303
Bay 1-2: Tunnel Adapter 002
Bay 3-4: Orbiter Docking System/External Airlock (Boeing/Palmdale)
Bay 7-13: Unity (Node 1) (Boeing/Huntsville), including the PMA-1 and PMA-2 docking adapters (Boeing/Huntington Beach)
Bay 2 Port: GABA adapter with SAC-A satellite
Bay 4 Starboard: Carrier with Tool Stowage Assembly
Bay 5 Port: GABA adapter with two PFR space walk platforms and one PFR stanchion.
Bay 5 Starboard: GABA adapter with two more PFR space walk platforms and one PFR stanchion.
Bay 6 Port: GABA adapter with Mightysat
Bay 6 Starboard: APC carrier with TCS laser rendezvous sensor
Bay 7 Starboard: APC carrier with TCS laser rendezvous sensor
Bay 13 Port: GABA adapter with SEM-7 and G-093 canisters
Bay 13 Starboard: GABA adapter with IMAX Cargo Bay Camera

4 December 1998 - STS-88 Mission Status Report # 04. Flight: STS-88. STS-88 Commander Bob Cabana and his crew received their first wake up call from Mission Control this afternoon at 3:36 p.m. CST to begin their first full day of on orbit activities. The crew were awakened with the song "Get Ready" by the Temptations, an appropriate description of the full slate of activities the crew will be involved with as they get ready for the important events of the flight by checking out the equipment and tools that will be utilized during rendezvous, docking and space walking activities.

A series of precise maneuvering burns in the early portion of the flight will help ...more...

4 December 1998 - STS-88 Mission Status Report # 03. Flight: STS-88. Endeavour's six astronauts wrapped up their first day in space a bit later than planned, at approximately 8:21 a.m. Central time today, when they began an abbreviated sleep period. Crew members were trouble-shooting a minor problem with the Orbiter Communications Adapter (OCA) system, which is used to transmit software files between the Space Shuttle and the flight controllers on the ground. A wake-up call from Mission Control is planned for 3:36 p.m. Central time, for the crew to begin their first full day of on-orbit activities.

Following a smooth launch earlier today, Commander Bob Cabana, Pilot Rick Sturckow ...more...

4 December 1998 - STS-88 Mission Status Report # 02. Flight: STS-88. Five Americans and one Russian set off to begin building the International Space Station at 2:36 a.m. CST today, launching from Kennedy Space Center with the first American-built component of the station -- a connecting module named Unity -- in the Space Shuttle Endeavour's cargo bay. The shuttle's climb to orbit was flawless.

The STS-88 launch begins the largest cooperative space construction project in history. ...more...

5 December 1998 - STS-88 Mission Status Report # 06. Flight: STS-88. Endeavour's astronauts were awakened at 1:36 p.m. Central time today to begin in earnest preparations for on-orbit assembly of the International Space Station.

At about 3:50 p.m. Central time, Mission Specialist Nancy Currie will power up the ...more...

5 December 1998 - STS-88 Mission Status Report # 05. Flight: STS-88. Endeavour's astronauts began an eight-hour sleep period at 5:36 a.m. Central time following a full night of activity in which they checked out equipment that will be used in the assembly of the first two components of the International Space Station.

With the Russian-built Zarya Control Module orbiting about 16,000 nautical miles ...more...

6 December 1998 - STS-88 Mission Status Report # 07. Flight: STS-88. Astronaut Nancy Currie gently mated the 12.8-ton Unity connecting module to Endeavour's docking system late Saturday afternoon, successfully completing the first task in assembling the new International Space Station.

Deftly manipulating the shuttle's 50-foot-long robot arm, Currie placed Unity just ...more...

6 December 1998 - STS-88 Mission Status Report # 08. Flight: STS-88. Endeavour's crew awoke at 10:36 a.m. CST today to begin the orbital assembly of the International Space Station, uniting the first two station modules, Zarya and Unity. The astronauts were awakened to the sounds of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," requested by Commander Bob Cabana's daughter, Sarah.

Endeavour's crew will begin the final stages of a rendezvous with the Zarya module ...more...

7 December 1998 - EVA STS-88-1. Assignment: EVA Crew. Flight: STS-88. Began assembly of International Space Station. Connected cables between Zarya and Unity modules.

7 December 1998 - STS-88 Mission Status Report # 10. Flight: STS-88. Following a wake-up call from Mission Control at 11:41 a.m. CST today, Endeavour's six astronauts began preparing for the first of three scheduled space walks. The wake-up song, "Jerry the Rigger," was in honor of Mission Specialist Jerry Ross, who with fellow Mission Specialist Jim Newman, will conduct more than 18 hours of space walks during this flight.

Today's space walk, scheduled to begin about 4:30 p.m. Central time, may begin earlier ...more...

7 December 1998 - STS-88 Mission Status Report # 09. Flight: STS-88. Endeavour's astronauts continued the assembly of the International Space Station late Sunday, mating the Russian-built Zarya control module with the U.S.-built Unity connecting module in the shuttle's cargo bay following a flawless rendezvous and grapple of Zarya.

Using the shuttle's 50-foot-long robot arm, astronaut Nancy Currie plucked Zarya ...more...

8 December 1998 - STS-88 Mission Status Report # 12. Flight: STS-88. At the request of Commander Bob Cabana, Mission Control delayed Endeavour's wake-up call by one-half hour today, waking the crew at 12:06 p.m. CST, after the astronauts remained up past their scheduled sleep time to enjoy the view and relax following a very busy and successful day yesterday. The crew was awakened by Dwight Yokum's "Streets of Bakersfield," requested by the wife of Pilot Rick Sturckow, a California native.

Following yesterday's 7-hour, 21-minute spacewalk, Mission Specialists Jim Newman ...more...

8 December 1998 - STS-88 Mission Status Report # 11. Flight: STS-88. The first U.S. segment of the International Space Station came to life Monday night as the Unity module was activated for the first time. Activation followed the connection of electrical and data cables by Astronauts Jerry Ross and Jim Newman during a 7-hour, 21-minute space walk.

Working smoothly and ahead of schedule, Ross and Newman mated 40 cables and connectors ...more...

9 December 1998 - EVA STS-88-2. Assignment: EVA Crew. Flight: STS-88. Continued assembly of International Space Station. Connected cables between Zarya and Unity modules and deployed antennae.

9 December 1998 - STS-88 Mission Status Report # 13. Flight: STS-88. Endeavour's astronauts boosted the fledgling International Space Station to a higher altitude Tuesday and had a chance to relax for a few hours as the first station assembly flight neared the halfway mark.

Commander Bob Cabana and Pilot Rick Sturckow fired Endeavour's steering jets in ...more...

9 December 1998 - STS-88 Mission Status Report # 14. Flight: STS-88. After enjoying a half day of rest yesterday, Endeavour's crew was awakened at 10:36 a.m. Central time to begin preparations for a second spacewalk. The crew awoke to the tune "Floating in the Bathtub," selected for Mission Specialist Jim Newman by his wife, Mary Lee.

Today's 6-1/2-hour space walk by Newman and Mission Specialist Jerry Ross is scheduled ...more...

10 December 1998 - STS-88 Mission Status Report # 16. Flight: STS-88. Endeavour's six astronauts awoke at 10:41 a.m. CST today and are preparing for a historic day - entry into the International Space Station for the first time. The crew was awakened to Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA," played for Mission Specialist-2, Nancy Currie at the request of her husband, David.

After opening the hatch between Unity and the Pressurized Mating Adapter that connects ...more...

10 December 1998 - STS-88 Mission Status Report # 18. Flight: STS-88. Endeavour's crew was awakened at 10:36 a.m. CST today to continue their work of preparing the International Space Station for future crews. "Trepak," a Russian dance from Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker" ballet, was played as the wake-up music in honor of cosmonaut and Mission Specialist Sergei Krikalev.

Pilot Rick Sturckow and Mission Specialist Nancy Currie will continue their work ...more...

10 December 1998 - STS-88 Mission Status Report # 15. Flight: STS-88. Endeavour's astronauts installed antennas for an International Space Station communications system and helped free a jammed antenna on the station's Russian module, achieving all the objectives planned for the seven-hour space walk.

Jerry Ross and Jim Newman began the second of three planned space walks for the ...more...

11 December 1998 - STS-88 Mission Status Report # 19. Flight: STS-88. Endeavour's astronauts wrapped up the first visit inside the International Space Station and prepared it for undocking, closing the hatches for the final time to the new complex before it is left unpiloted Sunday.

After spending the day unstowing final items and installing air ducts for the Russian-built ...more...

11 December 1998 - STS-88 Mission Status Report # 17. Flight: STS-88. Endeavour's astronauts opened the new International Space Station for business Thursday, entering the Unity and Zarya modules for the first time and establishing an S-band communications system that will enable U.S. flight controllers to monitor the outpost's systems.

Reflecting the international cooperation involved in building the largest space ...more...

12 December 1998 - EVA STS-88-3. Assignment: EVA Crew. Flight: STS-88. Completed initial assembly of International Space Station. A canvas tool bag was attached to the exterior of Unity to provide tools for future assembly workers. Also disconnected some docking cables, so that Unity and Zarya could no longer undock.

12 December 1998 - STS-88 Mission Status Report # 20. Flight: STS-88. Endeavour's astronauts awoke at 10:36 a.m. CST today, to the sounds of Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog," and began preparing for the third and final scheduled space walk of the mission.

This afternoon's spacewalk, set to begin about 3:06 p.m. CST, could get under way ...more...

13 December 1998 - STS-88 Mission Status Report # 21. Flight: STS-88. Endeavour's astronauts completed the first assembly work of the International Space Station on Saturday, securing tools, tethers and cables to the new outpost and freeing a second jammed antenna on Zarya during a 6-hour, 59-minute space walk.

The third and final space walk of the flight by astronauts Jerry Ross and Jim Newman ...more...

13 December 1998 - STS-88 Mission Status Report # 22. Flight: STS-88. For the first time ever, the new International Space Station Flight Control Room in Houston issued a wake-up call to orbiting astronauts. At 10:36 a.m. CST, space station communicator Astronaut Mike Fincke awoke Endeavour's crew with the song" Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight" as they prepare to say "goodnight" to the space station.

Having begun its on-orbit assembly, Endeavour's astronauts are now preparing for ...more...

15 December 1998 - STS-88 Mission Status Report # 25. Flight: STS-88. Endeavour's astronauts wrapped up their mission objectives and packed up their ship, ready for a landing late tonight at Kennedy Space Center and the end of the first mission to assemble the International Space Station.

With Endeavour more than 340 miles in front of the new station, the astronauts tested ...more...

15 December 1998 - STS-88 Mission Status Report # 27. Flight: STS-88. NASA's final Shuttle mission of 1998 came to an end this evening with the landing of Space Shuttle Endeavour at Kennedy Space Center. Following a 4.6 million mile journey, STS-88 Commander Bob Cabana guided the orbiter down onto runway 15 with landing gear touchdown occurring at 9:54 p.m. CST.

While weather forecasts in the final days of the mission had indicated that rain ...more...

15 December 1998 - STS-88 Mission Status Report # 26. Flight: STS-88. Endeavour's astronauts awoke to the sounds of Richard Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" today, and are now preparing for a return trip to Earth. The wake-up call came at 11:36 a.m. CST, and was chosen by the flight control team to energize the six crew members in anticipation of tonight's landing in Florida, marking the 10th nighttime Shuttle landing in the program's history.

If weather cooperates, Endeavour will touch down at the Kennedy Space Center at ...more...

15 December 1998 - Landing of STS-88. Assignment: Return Crew. Flight: STS-88. STS-88 landed at 04:16 GMT.

23 December 1998 - ISS Status Report: ISS12. International Space Station flight controllers successfully completed two test firings of the Zarya module's two large thrusters this week, checking out the software and systems required for an automated rendezvous and docking with the third station module, scheduled to be launched from Russia in mid-1999.

The two five-second engine firings, performed 45 minutes apart on December 21, slightly ...more...

30 May 1999 - STS-96 Mission Status Report # 08. Flight: STS-96. STS-96 Astronauts Tammy Jernigan and Dan Barry completed the second longest space walk in shuttle history at 5:51 a.m. Central time Sunday, accomplishing all of the objectives mapped out for their excursion as well as a couple of unscheduled activities.

Today's space walk - the 45th in space shuttle history and the fourth of the International ...more...

1 March 2002 - STS-109. Assignment: Prime Crew. Flight: STS-109. Hubble Servicing Mission 3B. STS-109 main engine cutoff came at 1130 UTC with Columbia in a 55 x 574 km x 28.5 deg transfer orbit. The OMS-2 burn at about 1207 UTC raised perigee to about 195 km. There was a problem with a freon cooling loop on the Orbiter, but it wasn't quite bad enough to affect the mission. The Hubble Space Telescope closed its aperture door on March 2 in preparation for the rendezvous. Columbia got within 100m of HST by 0852 UTC on March 3 and grappled it with the RMS at 0931 UTC. HST was berthed on the FSS in Columbia's payload bay by 1032 UTC.

In the course of five spacewalks, the crew installed new equipment on HST. This was the first flight of Columbia since the launch of Chandra in 1999 following refurbishment. In the first two spacewalks, two new solar arrays were installed, and the two old arrays stowed on the RAC carrier. The RWA-1R reaction wheel assembly on the MULE carrier replaced the faltering RWA-1 in the telescope. The third spacewalk was the most difficult, as HST was entirely powered down while astronauts replaced its power controller unit, not designed for on-orbit replacement. On the fourth spacewalk the astronauts removed the European FOC camera, aboard HST since launch in 1990, and replaced it with the new ACS (Advanced Camera for Surveys). They also installed the CASH wire harness, part of the aft shroud cooling system. On the final spacewalk, the astronauts installed the NCS (NICMOS cooling system) cryocooler in the aft shround and the associated NCS radiator on the telescope's exterior. The NICMOS infrared camera had been idle since its original thermal control system failed. With the removal of FOC, the COSTAR device (which deployed contact lenses for the original instruments) became obsolete, since the newer instruments made the corrections to the incorrect HST mirror internally. Cargo manifest:

Middeck:4 EMU spacesuits - 480 kg
Bay 4: RAC (Rigid Array Carrier) - 2393 kg. The RAC carried the two folded SA-III rigid solar arrays which replaced the SA-II roll-up arrays. It calso carried the DBA2 diode box assembly which controlled the arrays, and a wire harness and containers associated with the NICMOS cooling system.
Bay 7-8: SAC (Second Axial Carrier) - 2517 kg. The SAC was a specially designed pallet that flew on the first two Hubble SM flights, STS-61 and STS-82. On this flight it carried the ACS camera up (and the FOS camera down) as well as the NCS cryocooler, the PCU-R power controller, the CASH wire harness, and the thermal covers used in the PCU replacement.
Bay 11: FSS (Flight Support System) - 2111 kg. The FSS first flew on STS 41-C (the Solar Max Repair) and was reused for each of the HST SM flights. It carried the BAPS Berthing and Positioning System, which was the docking ring for HST. Stowed on the FSS were a support post for BAPS and a cover for the HST low gain antenna.
Bay 12: MULE (Multi-Use Lightweight Equipment Carrier) - 1409 kg. The MULE carried the NCS radiator, the NCS electronics support module, and the RWA-1R reaction wheel unit. MULE first flew on STS-48 carrying the UARS satellite, and then on STS-95 carrying the HOST payload which tested out the NCS.
Sill: RMS arm No 201 - 410 kg

1 March 2002 - STS-109 Mission Status Report #02. Flight: ISS EO-4, STS-109. Following Columbia's on-time launch from the Kennedy Space Center this morning, flight controllers in Mission Control noticed a degraded flow rate in one of two freon cooling loops that help to dissipate heat from the orbiter.

There are two freon cooling loops that are part of the shuttle's active thermal ...more...

1 March 2002 - STS-109 Mission Status Report #03. Flight: ISS EO-4, STS-109. The crew of Columbia was awakened for its first full day in space at 8:22 p.m. CST with the song "Blue Telescope" by John Hiatt. In its morning mail, the crew received news that mission managers are optimistic the full mission will go forward as planned in spite of low flow in a shuttle cooling line.

Commander Scott Altman, Pilot Duane Carey, Flight Engineer Nancy Currie and spacewalkers ...more...

1 March 2002 - STS-109 Mission Status Report #01. Flight: ISS EO-4, STS-109. With the Hubble Space Telescope orbiting high overhead, the shuttle Columbia lifted off this morning on a complex mission to replace and upgrade key telescope systems through five challenging spacewalks.

Commander Scott Altman, Pilot Duane Carey, Flight Engineer Nancy Currie and spacewalkers ...more...

2 March 2002 - STS-109 Mission Status Report #05. Flight: ISS EO-4, STS-109. To the theme of "Mission Impossible," Columbia's astronauts awakened this morning to the news that all systems are go for their mission, a week characterized as the most challenging flight ever to maintain and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.

Columbia's capture of the telescope is planned for 3:13 a.m. Sunday. The shuttle's ...more...

2 March 2002 - STS-109 Mission Status Report #04. Flight: ISS EO-4, STS-109. As Columbia's crew completed preparations today for the capture of the Hubble Space Telescope, mission managers confirmed that a degraded shuttle cooling system will pose no problems for Columbia's flight.

Following an extensive analysis, managers determined that, although operating at ...more...

3 March 2002 - STS-109 Mission Status Report #07. Flight: ISS EO-4, STS-109. The crew of the space shuttle Columbia awoke for its first spacewalking day in orbit to "Five Variations on Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," performed by Jeno Jando. It was played for John Grunsfeld. Spacewalkers Grunsfeld and Rick Linnehan will step out into space for the first time during this mission at about 12:30 a.m. tomorrow morning.

Within hours of awakening Grunsfeld and Linnehan, with the assistance of crewmates ...more...

3 March 2002 - STS-109 Mission Status Report #06. Flight: ISS EO-4, STS-109. The Hubble Space Telescope is secure in Columbia's payload bay following its capture at 3:31 a.m. central time today, as the two spacecraft soared 350 miles above the Pacific Ocean southwest of the Mexican Coast.

Columbia's chase of the telescope ended with Commander Scott Altman and Pilot Duane ...more...

4 March 2002 - STS-109 Mission Status Report #09. Flight: ISS EO-4, STS-109. Rested and ready for another day of spacewalking, the crew of the space shuttle Columbia was awakened at 7:53 p.m. by the children's song "Floating in the Bathtub," by Tonya Evetts Weimer. It was played for Jim Newman who is to step out into space for the second spacewalk of this mission at about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Newman, making his fifth spacewalk, will work closely with crewmate, Mike Massimino, ...more...

4 March 2002 - STS-109 Mission Status Report #08. Flight: ISS EO-4, STS-109. The Hubble Space Telescope has a new starboard solar array after a seven hour-one minute long spacewalk by Columbia astronauts John Grunsfeld and Rick Linnehan.

During the space walk, which began at 12:37 a.m. CST, Grunsfeld and Linnehan removed ...more...

5 March 2002 - EVA STS-109-2. Assignment: EVA Crew. Flight: STS-109. Depress was at 0634 on and repress was at 1356 UTC. The astronauts replaced the +V2 solar array and diode box, and replaced the RWA-1 reaction wheel assembly.

5 March 2002 - STS-109 Mission Status Report #10. Flight: ISS EO-4, STS-109. The crew of Columbia completed the second of five planned spacewalks this morning with the successful installation of a new port solar array and a new Reaction Wheel Assembly (RWA) on the Hubble Space Telescope.

Spacewalkers Jim Newman and Mike Massimino spent seven hours 16 minutes installing ...more...

5 March 2002 - STS-109 Mission Status Report #11. Flight: ISS EO-4, STS-109. Columbia's crew is preparing tonight for the third space walk of the mission, a complex, seven-hour excursion that will include the unprecedented step of turning off the Hubble Space Telescope to replace the heart of its power system.

Controllers at the Space Telescope Operations Control Center in Greenbelt, MD, will ...more...

6 March 2002 - STS-109 Mission Status Report #13. Flight: ISS EO-4, STS-109. With a new heart beating strong and new power generating arrays ready to convert sunlight into energy, the Hubble Space Telescope is poised for Columbia's astronauts to improve its vision.

Spacewalkers Jim Newman and Mike Massimino are ready to begin the first science ...more...

6 March 2002 - STS-109 Mission Status Report #12. Flight: ISS EO-4, STS-109. The Hubble Space Telescope received a new "heart" today during a 6 hour, 48 minute spacewalk by astronauts John Grunsfeld and Rick Linnehan. The two installed a new Power Control Unit (PCU), replacing the original unit launched with the telescope in April 1990. The PCU serves as Hubble's central power switching station by distributing electricity to all systems, scientific instruments and the Nickel Hydrogen batteries.

In addition to eliminating an intermittent problem with the old PCU, the new unit ...more...

7 March 2002 - EVA STS-109-4. Assignment: EVA Crew. Flight: STS-109. Depress was at 0856 UTC and repress was at 1630 UTC. The Faint Object Camera was removed and the Advanced Camera for Surveys was installed. The CASH (Cross Aft Shroud Harness) wire harness for the cooling system was installed.

7 March 2002 - STS-109 Mission Status Report #14. Flight: ISS EO-4, STS-109. Following today's successful installation of the new Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on the Hubble Space Telescope, scientists will be able to see farther into our universe and with greater clarity and speed than ever before.

Columbia's spacewalkers, Jim Newman and Mike Massimino, began the first science ...more...

7 March 2002 - STS-109 Mission Status Report #15. Flight: ISS EO-4, STS-109. The crew of the space shuttle Columbia will give Hubble a way to open one of its slumbering eyes during the fifth and final scheduled spacewalk of this mission. An experimental cooling system will be installed on a camera that has been dormant since 1999 in hopes of bringing it back to life.

The crew onboard Columbia was awakened at 9:52 p.m. CST by the Mission Impossible: ...more...

8 March 2002 - STS-109 Mission Status Report #17. Flight: ISS EO-4, STS-109. Columbia's crew is preparing to bid a rejuvenated Hubble Space Telescope farewell following five days of spacewalks that have updated and enhanced the world's greatest observatory.

The crew completed five spacewalks on consecutive days, installing equipment that ...more...

8 March 2002 - STS-109 Mission Status Report #16. Flight: ISS EO-4, STS-109. TThe crew of the space shuttle Columbia completed the last of its five ambitious spacewalks this morning with the successful installation of an experimental cooling system for Hubble's Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS). The NICMOS has been dormant since January 1999 when its original coolant ran out.

Astronauts John Grunsfeld and Rick Linnehan began their third spacewalk of the mission ...more...

9 March 2002 - STS-109 Mission Status Report #19. Flight: ISS EO-4, STS-109. After five days of successful spacewalks to rejuvenate the Hubble Space Telescope, the crew of Columbia will enjoy a Sunday off. The crew was awakened at 8:50 p.m. CST Saturday by "Fly Me to the Moon" by Frank Sinatra. The song was played for Commander Scott "Scooter" Altman.

The crewmembers onboard Columbia - Altman, Pilot Duane Carey and Mission Specialists ...more...

9 March 2002 - STS-109 Mission Status Report #18. Flight: ISS EO-4, STS-109. "Good luck Mr. Hubble," was the call from on board Columbia this morning as the newly rejuvenated telescope was released from the grasp of the shuttle's robotic arm at 4:04 a.m. central time today.

From the flight deck, spacewalker John Grunsfeld expressed the sentiments of the ...more...

10 March 2002 - STS-109 Mission Status Report #21. Flight: ISS EO-4, STS-109. After a day off and a good night's rest, the seven-member crew of Columbia will focus on the end of a mission featuring five successful spacewalks to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.

Landing is scheduled for 3:32 a.m. CST Tuesday at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The ...more...

12 March 2002 - Landing of STS-109. Assignment: Return Crew. Flight: STS-109. Columbia deorbit was at 0822 UTC with landing on runway 33 at Kennedy Space Center at 0931 UTC.

12 March 2002 - STS-109 Mission Status Report #23. Flight: ISS EO-4, STS-109. The space shuttle Columbia landed at Kennedy Space Center early Tuesday after a 10-day, 22-hour and 10-minute mission to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. Columbia astronauts conducted five successful spacewalks during their STS-109 mission to improve the orbiting observatory.

Columbia's main landing gear touched down at 3:32 a.m. CST, completing a mission ...more...

Bibliography and Further Reading

NASA Astronaut Biographies, Johnson Space Center, NASA, 1995-present. Accessed at: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/.

Contact us with any corrections, additions, or comments.

Conditions for use of drawings, pictures, or other materials from this site..
To contact astronauts or cosmonauts.

© Mark Wade, 1997 - 2007 except where otherwise noted.

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