Brown

Clervoy

Foale

Grunsfeld

Kelly Scott

Nicollier

Smith Steven

---

STS-103 Credit - NASA

20 December 1999 00:50 GMT. Landing Date: 1999-12-28 00:01:00 PM. Flight Time: 7.97 days. Flight Up: STS-103. Flight Back: STS-103. Call Sign: Discovery. Crew: Brown, Clervoy, Foale, Grunsfeld, Kelly Scott, Nicollier, Smith Steven. Program: STS. Hubble Space Telescope (HST) servicing mission SM-3A, delayed repeatedly by technical problems with the shuttle fleet after the near-disastrous previous launch. Finally launched after the last possible day to avoid Y2K computer problems; one spacewalk was cancelled so that the shuttle could return by December 28. Hubble was in a 591 km x 610 km x 28.5 deg orbit at launch. After separation of the external tank ET-101 the Orbiter was in a 56 km x 587 km x 28.5 deg transfer orbit. The OMS 2 burn at 0134 UTC raised the orbit to 313 km x 582 km. The payload bay contained:

• Bay 1-2: External airlock/ODS
• Bay 7-8: ORU Carrier (Spacelab pallet). Carried Hubble replacement spares arranged as follows: COPE protective enclosure with three RSU gyros, a new solid state recorder, and an S-band transmitter; LOPE enclosure with an HST-486 computer and voltage improvement kit; ASIPE enclosure with a spare HST-486 and spare RSU; FSIPE enclosure with a replacement FGS-2 fine guidance sensor; and NPE enclosure with New Outer Blanket Layer insulation.
• Bay 11: Flight Servicing System (FSS). Contained the BAPS (Berthing and Positioning System) used to dock with the aft end of the Hubble Space Telescope.
• Bay 8: APC carrier with foot restraint
• Bay 12: APC carrier with HST foot retstraint

  STS-103 Credit- NASA

Launch:

Dec. 19, 1999, at 7:50:00 p.m. EST. Discovery faced nine delays and scrubs, some mechanical and some due to the weather, before launching successfully.

Before facing those postponements, the third Hubble Space Shuttle servicing mission had been advanced in the mission schedule. The servicing mission was originally scheduled for June 2000, but when the third of Hubble’s six gyroscopes failed, the mission was split into two separate missions. The first mission, STS-103, was scheduled for Oct. 14 with the second mission to follow in 2001. (Hubble needs at least three of its six gyroscopes to be functioning to enable the telescope to point precisely at distant astronomical targets for scientific observation.)

In mid-August Shuttle managers decided to extend wiring inspections and maintenance across the Shuttle fleet after wiring problems were detected aboard Columbia. That orbiter was inspected and determined to have wiring problems after an irregularity occurred during the launch of STS-93 on July 23, 1999. Following inspections of Discovery, a new target launch date of no earlier than Oct. 28 was announced (first launch delay).

Because of the amount of wiring repairs needed, the planning date was shifted to no earlier than Nov. 19 (second delay). Shuttle managers decided to preserve the option to launch either STS-103 or STS-99, the Space Radar Topography Mission, first. On Nov. 13, a fourth gyroscope on Hubble failed and the observatory was put into “safe mode,” a state of dormancy in which the telescope aims itself constantly at the sun to provide electrical power to its systems.

STS-103 Credit- www.spacefacts.de

As repairs to Discovery came to a close, launch was targeted for Dec. 2. The launch date was put under review after a half-inch-long drill bit was discovered to be lodged in main engine No. 3. A new launch date of Dec. 6 was set (third delay). Rollout to the pad proceeded and Discovery’s main engine No. 3 was replaced while the orbiter was on the pad.

After Discovery reached the pad, additional damaged wiring, which was found in an umbilical between the orbiter and the external tank, was detected and a new launch date of Dec. 9 was set to allow for repair and testing (fourth delay). The launch was then reset to Dec. 11 (fifth delay). The new target date allowed KSC workers to observe the Thanksgiving Holidays.

The mission was again put on hold after a dented main propulsion system line, which carries liquid hydrogen fuel for the Shuttle main engines, was found during closeout inspections of Discovery’s engine compartment. A new target date of earlier than December 16 was set (sixth delay).

By Dec. 13, workers at Launch Pad 39B had completed inspections and leak checks on Shuttle Discovery’s replaced liquid hydrogen recirculation line that was replaced and the target date confirmed to be Dec. 16.

On Tuesday, Dec. 14, 1999, the launch countdown for STS-103 began on schedule at 1:30 a.m. Later that day during routine inspections of the external tank’s pressure lines, a suspect weld was detected. To ensure that the proper welding materials and procedures were used, a thorough review of process and paperwork used during the fabrication of the lines was conducted. It was determined that the same manufacturer performed welds on the 17-inch propellant feed lines and struts in the AFT engine compartment when Discovery was constructed. A 24-hour delay was called to give the Shuttle team time to review the manufacturing inspection records for those lines as well. It was determine the welds were correctly made and the launch was rescheduled to Dec. 17 (seventh delay).

On Dec.17, with an 80 percent chance of unfavorable weather, external tank cyrogenic loading was started at 11:29 a.m. EST. Tanking operations were complete at 3 p.m. EST. The launch countdown proceeded to the T-minus 9 minute mark and held due to weather constraints. At 8:52pm EST the launch director scrubbed the launch due to violations of weather launch commit criteria and the launch was rescheduled to Dec. 18 (eighth delay). Due to the prediction of poor weather on Dec. 18, the mission management team decided to preserve a launch option and rescheduled Discovery’s launch from Dec. 18 to Dec. 19 at 7:50p.m. EST (ninth delay).

On Dec. 19, 1999, the weather outlook was favorable, so Shuttle managers decided to proceed with the STS-103 launch countdown. The Shuttle launched on time at the beginning of the 42 minute window.

To ensure that all flight and ground systems were secured for the transition to Year 2000, the mission was shortened from 10 days to 8 days.

Landing:

Dec. 27, 1999 at 7:01:34 p.m. EST. Runway 33, Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Rollout distance 7,005 feet. Rollout time: 47 seconds. Mission duration: 7 days, 23 hours, 10 minutes, 47 seconds. Landed on orbit 119, logging more than 3.267 million miles. It marked the 13th nighttime landing in the shuttle program and the 8th at Kennedy Space Center.

Mission Highlights:

STS-103 restored the Hubble Space Telescope to working order and upgraded some of its systems, allowing the decade-old observatory to get ready to begin its second scheduled decade of astronomical observations.

The first few days of the 8-day mission, the crew prepared for the rendezvous and capture of the Hubble Space Telescope and the three maintenance spacewalks to follow. After a 30-orbit chase. Commander Brown and Kelly maneuvered the orbiter to a point directly beneath Hubble, then moved upward toward it. Mission Specialist Clervoy grappled Hubble using the orbiter’s robotic arm and placed it on the Flight Support System in the rear of Discovery’s cargo bay.

EVA No. 1: Mission Specialists Steven Smith and John Grunsfeld conducted the mission’s first spacewalk. The two made numerous repairs, including replacing the telescope’s three Rate Sensor Units – each containing two gyroscopes. They also installed six Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kits between Hubble’s solar panels and its six 10-year-old batteries. The kits, the size of cell telephones, were designed to prevent any overheating or overcharging of those batteries. A few minor objectives were left undone, such as taking close-up photos of the Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kits. The 8-hour, 15-minute spacewalk was second to the longest space walk from Endeavour on STS-49 in May 1992. A few minor problems helped account for the length of the spacewalk. The astronauts had difficulty in removing one of the old RSUs, and opening valves and removing caps on the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer. The tasks were eventually completed.

EVA No. 2: During the mission’s second spacewalk, Mission Specialists Michael Foale and Claude Nicollier installed a new advanced computer – 20 times faster than Hubble’s old one – and a new, 550-pound fine guidance sensor. This 8-hour, 10 minute spacewalk was the third longest in history. With all major activities accomplished, controllers reported that power was reaching both of the new pieces of equipment. “The brains of Hubble have been replaced,” said Mission Specialist Grunsfeld. About 30 minutes later, Hubble began thinking with those new brains.

EVA No. 3: Smith and Grunsfeld again teamed up to make the mission’s third and final space walk. Like the first two, it also lasted more than 8 hours, making it the fourth longest in history. The team installed a transmitter that sends scientific data from Hubble to the ground. It replaced one that failed in 1998. The astronauts used special tools developed for the task because transmitters, usually very reliable, were not designed to be replaced in orbit. Smith and Grunsfeld also installed a solid state digital recorder, replacing an older mechanical reel-to-reel.

Hubble was released from Discovery’s cargo bay on Christmas Day.

Mission STS-103 is only the second time in the Space Program that a crew has spent Christmas in space.

• 1999 Dec 19 - STS-103 Mission Status Report #01 

  In the final launch attempt available this year, Discovery and its seven astronauts blasted off tonight on the last human space flight of the 20th century to refurbish the Hubble Space Telescope.

  Under clear and starry skies at the Kennedy Space Center, Discovery lifted off on time at 6:50 p.m. Central time, lighting up the Central Florida coastline, to send Commander Curt Brown, Pilot Scott Kelly, and Mission Specialists Steve Smith, Jean-Francois Clervoy, John Grunsfeld, Mike Foale and Claude Nicollier on a two-day chase to catch up to and retrieve the 12 and a half ton telescope. Hubble was sailing over Eastern Africa at the time of launch.

  Eight and a half minutes after the third and final shuttle launch of the year, Discovery was in orbit as its crew members began to configure shuttle systems for the planned 8-day mission. One rendezvous burn of the reaction control system jets is planned before the crew goes to sleep early Monday to fine tune Discovery's path to catch up to Hubble.

  Technically, Hubble has been in hibernation since the loss of a fourth gyroscope on November 13 designed to enable the telescope to point precisely at distant astronomical targets for scientific observations. Hubble is in what is known as "safe mode", a state of dormancy in which the telescope aims itself constantly at the sun to provide electrical power to its systems. Hubble is scheduled to be captured by Discovery's robot arm around 6:40 p.m. Central time Tuesday.

  Once the crew retrieves Hubble, it will be parked at the rear of Discovery's cargo bay so that two teams of space-walking astronauts can perform repairs and upgrades to its systems during three nights of space walks. The most vital of the space walks will occur on Wednesday night, when Smith and Grunsfeld replace all six of Hubble's gyroscopes and install devices to improve voltage regulation to the telescope's systems. Only three space walks are planned because the mission was shortened. Smith and Grunsfeld will conduct the first and third space walks, while the second will be conducted by Foale and Nicollier.

  If all goes as planned, Hubble will be released back into orbit on Christmas Day around 5 p.m. Central time, with landing planned on Dec. 27 at 4:24 p.m.. Central time at the Kennedy Space Center.

  The astronauts are scheduled to begin an eight-hour sleep period at 1:50 a.m. Central time Monday and will be awakened at 9:50 a.m. Central time to begin their first full day in orbit.

  Discovery is orbiting the Earth at an altitude of about 300 nautical miles, completing one orbit of the Earth every 90 minutes.

• 1999 Dec 20 - STS-103  Crew: Brown, Kelly Scott, Smith Steven, Grunsfeld, Foale, Nicollier, Clervoy. Spacecraft: Discovery. Payload: Discovery F27. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Shuttle. Duration: 7.97 days. Perigee: 591 km (367 mi). Apogee: 610 km (370 mi). Inclination: 28.50 deg.

  Hubble Space Telescope (HST) servicing mission SM-3A, delayed repeatedly by technical problems with the shuttle fleet after the near-disastrous previous launch. Finally launched after the last possible day to avoid Y2K computer problems; one spacewalk was cancelled so that the shuttle could return by December 28. Hubble was in a 591 km x 610 km x 28.5 deg orbit at launch. After separation of the external tank ET-101 the Orbiter was in a 56 km x 587 km x 28.5 deg transfer orbit. The OMS 2 burn at 0134 UTC raised the orbit to 313 km x 582 km. The payload bay contained:

  • Bay 1-2: External airlock/ODS
  • Bay 7-8: ORU Carrier (Spacelab pallet). Carried Hubble replacement spares arranged as follows: COPE protective enclosure with three RSU gyros, a new solid state recorder, and an S-band transmitter; LOPE enclosure with an HST-486 computer and voltage improvement kit; ASIPE enclosure with a spare HST-486 and spare RSU; FSIPE enclosure with a replacement FGS-2 fine guidance sensor; and NPE enclosure with New Outer Blanket Layer insulation.
  • Bay 11: Flight Servicing System (FSS). Contained the BAPS (Berthing and Positioning System) used to dock with the aft end of the Hubble Space Telescope.
  • Bay 8: APC carrier with foot restraint
  • Bay 12: APC carrier with HST foot retstraint

  Hubble was grabbed by the shuttle's robot arm at 0034 UTC on December 22. Following completion of repairs HST was released on December 25 at 2303 UTC. The deorbit burn at 2248 UTC on Dec 27 placed the orbiter in a 50 km x 616 km descent orbit. Discovery landed on runway 33 at Kennedy Space Center at 0001 UTC on December 28.

• 1999 Dec 20 - STS-103 Mission Status Report #02 

  Trailing the Hubble Space Telescope by about 3,700 nautical miles and closing, the seven Discovery astronauts were awakened at 9:50 a.m. CST today to the sounds of Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "Taking Care of Business." The wake-up call from Mission Control began the crew's first full day in orbit. Discovery is closing on the telescope at a rate of about 340 nautical miles with each hour and a half long orbit of Earth.

  Today will be a day of preparation for the crew, gearing up for the rendezvous and capture of HST planned for Tuesday and the three maintenance spacewalks that will follow later in the week. At about 1 p.m., European Space Agency astronaut Jean-Francois Clervoy will power up Discovery's robotic arm to check its operation. Clervoy will survey Discovery's cargo bay using television cameras on the arm, checking the condition of the equipment planned for installation on the telescope and the cradle that will hold HST during the spacewalks. While Clervoy operates the arm, Payload Commander Steve Smith and Mission Specialist John Grunsfeld will power up the payload bay HST support equipment. Later, around 6 p.m., Commander Curt Brown and Pilot Scott Kelly will check out the laptop computers, navigation aids and flight controls in Discovery's cockpit that will be used for tomorrow's encounter with HST.

  Meanwhile, on Discovery's middeck, Grunsfeld, along with European astronaut Claude Nicollier, will begin a check of the four spacesuits onboard. Early in the afternoon, about 1 p.m., the crew will lower the cabin pressure aboard Discovery as part of the spacewalk preparations. This reduces the amount of time the spacewalkers must breathe oxygen as part of a standard protocol to purge nitrogen from the body prior to beginning a spacewalk.

  At 8:35 p.m. CST, Brown, Smith, Clervoy and Mike Foale will take a break from their work to talk with CBS news and other television networks about their mission.

  As some of their final activities today, the crew will fire Discovery's large orbital maneuvering system engines at 10:32 p.m. to slow the rate at which the Shuttle is closing on HST. A second, smaller engine firing will follow at 11:27 p.m. to further fine tune the Shuttle's approach toward Hubble. Capture of the telescope remains scheduled for 6:41 p.m. Tuesday.

  Discovery is in excellent condition, orbiting Earth every 95 minutes, 27 seconds. The high point of Discovery's orbit is 363 statute miles and the low point is 298 statute miles.

• 1999 Dec 20 - STS-103 Mission Status Report #03 

  The seven members of the STS-103 crew of Discovery completed a day of preparation Monday for a Tuesday capture of the Hubble Space Telescope. During three days of space walks, Hubble's capability to conduct astronomical observations will be restored and some of its equipment upgraded.

  Discovery's robotic arm and the four space suits the astronauts will use on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday space walks, checked out with no major problems.

  As the crew prepared for its sleep period, Discovery was 1,100 statute miles behind Hubble, closing at a rate of 150 statute miles per orbit. Discovery's orbit had been adjusted by firing the two Orbital Maneuvering System engines, mounted in pods on either side of the spacecraft's vertical tail fin. That burn added 79 feet per second to the orbiter's speed. A subsequent firing of Discovery's smaller Reaction Control System jets further refined the orbit by changing Discovery's speed by about eight feet per second.

  The pressure in Discovery's cabin was lowered to 10.2 psi at about 1 p.m. Monday. This is part of the procedure to reduce the amount of nitrogen in the blood of space-walking astronauts. Later they will breathe pure oxygen. Those steps are designed to eliminate the possibility of nitrogen bubbles forming in their blood during spacewalks and causing an attack of the "bends," a condition that can affect deep-sea divers brought to the surface too quickly.

  A little after 8:30 p.m. CST, four members of the crew, Commander Curt Brown, Pilot Scott Kelly, and Mission Specialists Jean-Francois Clervoy and Mike Foale, participated in an on-orbit interview with three organizations - CBS News, the Hal Uplinger Millennium TV Network and ABS-PBS Millennium Broadcast.

  On Tuesday Discovery will approach the space telescope with a series of burns to match its orbit. The rendezvous' terminal initiation burn is to occur at about 4:30 p.m. when Discovery is about eight miles behind Hubble. Brown and Kelly will maneuver the orbiter to a point directly beneath Hubble, then move upward toward it. Clervoy, using the orbiter's robotic arm, will grapple Hubble about 6:40 p.m. and place it on the Flight Service System in the rear of Discovery's cargo bay. There, it can be rotated and tilted to enable space-walking astronauts to better access its equipment bays.

  Discovery is in an orbit with a high point of 367 statute miles and a low point of 352 miles. All systems are in excellent condition.

• 1999 Dec 21 - STS-103 Mission Status Report #04 

  Discovery is on track for its rendezvous with the Hubble Space Telescope this afternoon, culminating in the planned capture of the 12.5-ton observatory at 6:41 p.m. CST. In recognition of today's activities, the seven astronauts aboard Discovery were awakened at 9:20 a.m. today to the song "Rendezvous" by Bruce Springsteen.

  While the crew slept, the Shuttle continued to close in on the Hubble Space Telescope at a rate of about 125 statute miles with each 90 minute long orbit of Earth. At the time the crew woke this morning, Discovery trailed the telescope by about 330 statute miles.

  The crew will fire the Shuttle's thrusters at 12:38 p.m. today to slightly raise Discovery's orbit and slow the closing rate on Hubble. Another engine firing will be conducted about 48 minutes later to further adjust the closing rate and aim Discovery to reach a point eight nautical miles behind the telescope -- the starting point for the final phase of the rendezvous -- about three hours later. Just before Discovery reaches that point, European astronaut Jean-Francois Clervoy will power up the robotic arm and lift it to a position just above its latches along the left edge of the Shuttle cargo bay.

  At 4:28 p.m., Discovery will reach the starting point and fire its thrusters again to begin the final phase of rendezvous, putting the Shuttle on a course to directly intercept the telescope on the next orbit of Earth. As Discovery closes the final distance to Hubble, four small course correction engine firings will fine-tune the approach and Clervoy will raise the arm high above the payload bay, poised to latch onto the Hubble's grapple fixture.

  When Discovery reaches a point about half a mile away and directly beneath the telescope, Commander Curt Brown will take over manual control of the Shuttle. Brown, assisted by Pilot Scott Kelly, will gently maneuver the 110-ton Shuttle to within 35 feet of the orbiting observatory to allow Clervoy to capture it with the arm. After the arm has latched onto the telescope, Clervoy will lower it into a cradle in the aft cargo bay. Using controls in the aft cockpit of Discovery, Payload Commander Steve Smith will then latch the telescope in place, where it will remain for the next four days. Hubble is planned to be latched into the bay at about 7 p.m. Once the telescope has been secured in the payload bay, Clervoy will release the arm and use it to perform a television survey of the Hubble's exterior.

  The first of three planned Hubble maintenance spacewalks is planned to begin at 1:40 p.m. Wednesday.

• 1999 Dec 21 - STS-103 Mission Status Report #05 

  After a 30-orbit chase, Discovery astronauts completed a successful rendezvous Tuesday evening with the Hubble Space Telescope, grappling it with the robotic arm and latching it into the orbiter's cargo bay.

  Controllers at Goddard Space Flight Center had placed the space telescope in an attitude with its closed aperture pointed toward Earth. Commander Curt Brown guided Discovery through an approach from below and fly-around. Then, Mission Specialist Jean-Francois Clervoy reached out with the shuttle's robotic arm to grip a grapple fixture on Hubble. The grapple was made at 6:34 p.m. Central time, one day, 23 hours and 44 minutes after Discovery's launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

  Clervoy used the arm to rotate the space telescope and bring its base into the cargo bay. Hubble, gleaming silver in its Mylar insulation flanked by golden-colored solar arrays, was firmly attached to the Flight Support System in Discovery's cargo by a little after 7:30 p.m. Hubble is as tall as a four-story building. With a maximum diameter of 14 feet, it is about the size of a railroad tank car.

  The Flight Support System is a U-shaped device with a circular platform between the U's arms now supporting the space telescope. The system provides power from Discovery to the telescope and can rotate and tilt it to facilitate access to its various compartments by space-walking astronauts. An initial, carefully choreographed survey using a camera at the end of the robotic arm was made. Camera surveys of Hubble's condition will continue during the crew's sleep period, scheduled to begin about 12:50 a.m. Wednesday.

  The first of three planned space walks to repair and upgrade Hubble equipment is scheduled to begin at 1:40 p.m. Wednesday, though astronauts may get an early start. If they can get ahead of schedule, they may be able to perform some tasks that had been scheduled for the cancelled fourth spacewalk.

  On Wednesday, Mission Specialist and Payload Commander Steve Smith and Mission Specialist John Grunsfeld will first replace the telescope's three Rate Sensor Units. Each contains two gyroscopes. The second major task is installation of six Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kits between Hubble's solar panels and its six 10-year-old batteries. The cell telephone-sized kits are designed to prevent any overheating or overcharging of those batteries.

  Discovery's systems continue to function well as the astronauts wind up final preparations for Wednesday's space walks and prepare for sleep. The spacecraft was in an orbit with a high point of 380 statute miles and a low point of 355 miles.

• 1999 Dec 22 - STS-103 Mission Status Report #06 

  With the Hubble Space Telescope securely latched in the payload bay, the astronauts board Discovery today will turn their attention to the primary objective of their flight -- restoring the capability of the 12.5-ton telescope to observe the universe.

  Astronauts Steve Smith and John Grunsfeld are scheduled to begin the first of three planned maintenance spacewalks today at about 1:40 p.m. The crew was awakened this morning to the song "Hucklebuck" performed by Beau Jocque and the Zydeco Hi-Rollers, a tune that the spacewalkers heard many times while training hundreds of hours for the mission in the 6.5-million gallon water tank at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

  Although not scheduled to begin until 1:40 p.m., Smith and Grunsfeld could begin the planned six-hour spacewalk earlier if they complete preparations ahead of schedule. Once outside Discovery's cabin, the first task they will perform will be to replace the telescope's three Rate Sensor Units, each of which contains two gyroscopes. Of the six gyroscopes currently installed in Hubble, four have failed. At least three operable gyroscopes are needed to point the telescope with the accuracy required to track its astronomical targets.

  After the rate sensor units have been installed, the two spacewalkers will then open valves on the telescope's Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer to purge nitrogen coolant from that instrument in preparation for its servicing on the next Shuttle maintenance mission. Next, they will install six Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kits for the Hubble's batteries that will increase the batteries' efficiency and reduce a potential for them to overcharge and overheat. If those tasks are completed and the spacewalkers have extra time, they may perform some additional small jobs such as installing handrail covers and inspecting brackets.

  While Smith and Grunsfeld are outside, inside the cabin European astronaut Jean-Francois Clervoy will control Discovery's robotic arm, maneuvering the spacewalkers into position to work on the telescope. Discovery's other spacewalking team, astronaut Mike Foale and European astronaut Claude Nicollier, also will assist from inside the cabin. Foale and Nicollier are scheduled to perform the mission's second spacewalk tomorrow. Smith and Grunsfeld are planned to again venture outside on Friday for the flight's third and final spacewalk.

  Discovery remains in near-perfect condition with no mechanical problems of concern to flight controllers, as has been the case since its launch on Sunday. It is orbiting at an altitude of 380 by 365 statute miles.

• 1999 Dec 22 - STS-103 Mission Status Report #07 

  Discovery astronauts completed the two highest priority tasks of their Hubble Space Telescope servicing Wednesday with a space walk that was the second longest in history. Astronauts Steve Smith and John Grunsfeld installed six new gyroscopes and six Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kits in the telescope during their 8 hour, 15 minute spacewalk.

  Working deliberately, Smith and Grunsfeld replaced three Rate Sensor Units, each containing two gyroscopes. Four of Hubble's gyroscopes had failed, making the telescope unable to point itself precisely enough to do science since Nov. 13. At least three operable gyroscopes are needed to point the telescope with the accuracy required to track its astronomical targets.

  The spacewalkers also installed Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kits on wiring from Hubble's solar arrays to each of its six batteries. The kits are designed to improve control of the charging of the space telescope's 10-year-old batteries.

  With Hubble latched upright in the payload bay, Smith and Grunsfeld completed all major tasks scheduled for the first of three spacewalks on three consecutive days. A few minor objectives, including applying lubricant to the door of one of the telescope's bays and taking close-up photos of the Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kits, were left undone. Flight and telescope controllers decided to cancel the photography job and schedule the 10-minute lubrication job for Thursday's space walk. The duration of the spacewalk was second only to the 8 hour, 29 minute space walk from Endeavour on STS-49 in May 1992.

  A few minor problems helped account for the length of the space walk. One of the old gyroscope-containing Rate Sensor Units was a tight fit in the box designed to protect it on its return to Earth, though eventually it was placed inside and the lid closed. Another involved opening valves and removing caps on the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer, in preparation for restoring it to operation during the next Hubble Servicing mission. That task too eventually was completed.

  All in all flight and telescope controllers were delighted with the accomplishments of the day.

  Major tasks on Thursday's space walk by Michael Foale and Claude Nicollier include replacement of Hubble's outmoded DF-224 computer with a more modern unit 20 times faster and with six times the memory. They also will replace one of Hubble's three fine guidance sensors, used to precisely point the telescope and gather scientific data. The astronauts also may perform "get-ahead tasks," some first scheduled for a fourth space walk. That space walk was cancelled because of delays in Discovery's launch. Discovery remains in excellent condition, in an orbit with a high point of 380 statute miles and a low point of 369 miles.

• 1999 Dec 23 - EVA STS-103-1  Crew: Smith Steven, Grunsfeld. EVA Type: Extra-Vehicular Activity. EVA Duration: 0.34 days. Spacecraft: Discovery, HST.

  Replaced all six of the gyroscopes on Hubble.

• 1999 Dec 23 - STS-103 Mission Status Report #08 

  Discovery's seven-member crew began work early today, preparing for a busy day on orbit, including a second spacewalk and a final check of hardware installed on the Hubble Space Telescope during yesterday's spacewalk.

  The primary goal of today's spacewalk, to be conducted by Mike Foale and European Space Agency astronaut Claude Nicollier, is to install a new computer to replace the one currently in use by Hubble. The new computer is 20 times faster and has six times the memory of the outdated unit being replaced. Nicollier and Foale also will change out one of Hubble's three Fine Guidance Sensors that are used to precisely point the telescope as it conducts scientific observations. The unit being installed today is a refurbished unit that was removed and returned to Earth by the STS-82 crew during its servicing of the telescope in February 1997. If time permits, the space walkers also may perform some optional "get ahead" tasks. Foale has conducted two previous spacewalks, during the STS-63 mission in February 1995 and again in September 1997 as he and Mir Space Station Commander Anatoly Solovyev conducted a six-hour survey of the Mir. This is Nicollier's first spacewalk.

  Today's spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 1:50 p.m., but could begin earlier if the crew members complete their preparations ahead of schedule. During the spacewalk, Foale can be recognized by the broken red stripes on the legs of his EVA suit, and Nicollier by the diagonally broken red stripes on his suit.

  Discovery's astronauts also supported a functional test of the voltage temperature improvement kits - referred to as VIKs - installed by Steve Smith and John Grunsfeld during their spacewalk yesterday. To ensure the checkout is complete prior to the start of today's scheduled EVA, the astronauts began the work shortly after crew wake-up. During the 90-minute long checkout, investigators will monitor the performance of the voltage kits as the telescope's batteries are charged.

  This morning's wake-up music honored the two space-walking astronauts, Nicollier and Foale. Traditional Swiss music was played for Nicollier and the song "Only When I Sleep" by The Corrs was played for Foale.

  Discovery remains in excellent condition, in an orbit with a high point of 380 statute miles and a low point of 369 miles.

• 1999 Dec 23 - STS-103 Mission Status Report #09 

  The Hubble Space Telescope received a new advanced computer Thursday from space-walking Discovery astronauts Mike Foale and Claude Nicollier. Their 8-hour, 10-minute space walk, the third longest in history, also saw replacement of a 550-pound fine guidance sensor.

  Flight controllers said all major activities of the space walk, the second of three on consecutive days of Discovery's space telescope repair and improvement mission, had been accomplished. Controllers reported that power was reaching both of the new pieces of equipment.

  "The brains of Hubble have been replaced," said Mission Specialist John Grunsfeld, who worked Thursday in Discovery's cabin with the space-walking crew members outside. About 30 minutes later Hubble began thinking with those new brains. At an evening mission status briefing, John Campbell, Hubble Space Telescope program manager, said the functional checkout of the new computer showed it was functioning well. Checkout of the Fine Guidance Sensor, is continuing.

  The length of Thursday's space walk made it the third longest in history, behind only the 8-hour, 15-minute effort on Wednesday by Payload Commander Steve Smith and Grunsfeld and an 8-hour, 29-minute space walk by three Endeavor astronauts on STS-49 on its Intelsat rescue mission in May 1992.

  Replacement of one of Hubble's two S-band transmitters is a highlight of Friday's space walk by Smith and Grunsfeld. The transmitter to be replaced had failed. The second transmitter was able to carry the load alone, so no science was lost. The transmitters are considered very reliable, and unlike most of the equipment aboard Hubble, they were not designed to be changed out in orbit. Special tools were developed to enable astronauts to do the job more easily. Installation of a Solid State Recorder to replace a less reliable and less capable 10-year-old recorder is the second major item on the schedule.

  Also on the timeline of the space walk, scheduled to begin at 1:50 p.m. CST, is installation of new insulation on equipment bay doors. The spacewalk could, like its two predecessors on STS-103, begin earlier if the crew completes preparations early. Flight controllers are anxious to end this third space walk at 8 p.m. as scheduled.

  Discovery remains is in excellent condition, in an orbit with a high point of 380 statute miles and a low point of 364 miles.

• 1999 Dec 24 - EVA STS-103-2  Crew: Foale, Nicollier. EVA Type: Extra-Vehicular Activity. EVA Duration: 0.34 days. Spacecraft: Discovery, HST.

  Installed in the Hubble space telescope a new 486/25 mhz computer and replaced Fine Guidance Sensor FGS-2.

• 1999 Dec 24 - STS-103 Mission Status Report #10 

  The Hubble Space Telescope is scheduled to receive its final upgrades today as astronauts Steve Smith and John Grunsfeld perform the last of three planned space walks to refurbish the orbiting observatory.

  Today's planned 7 ½ hour-long space walk will see Smith and Grunsfeld install a transmitter that relays Hubble's scientific data from the telescope to the ground and an upgraded digital recorder replacing an older mechanical version.

  The transmitter to be installed today replaces one that failed in 1998. Since that time, the second on-board transmitter has successfully carried the load without any disruption to Hubble operations. The transmitters are considered very reliable, and unlike most of the equipment aboard Hubble, were not designed to be changed out in orbit. Special tools were developed to enable astronauts to do the job more easily.

  The digital Solid State Recorder being installed on the telescope will replace an older mechanical model and provide more than 10 times the storage capacity. Smith and Grunsfeld also will apply some new insulation on equipment bay doors to minimize any degradation of the telescope's protective thermal coverings.

  The space walk currently is scheduled to being at 1:20 p.m. Central Time and is expected to last about 7 ½ hours.

  Mission Control awakened the crew at 8:50 a.m. today to the sounds of Steppenwolf's "Magic Carpet Ride" played for Smith and the children's song "Skinnamarink" by Kimbo for Grunsfeld. Discovery remains in excellent condition, in an orbit with a high point of 380 statute miles and a low point of 364 miles.

• 1999 Dec 24 - STS-103 Mission Status Report #11 

  Discovery astronauts completed their third and final space walk Friday evening, replacing a failed radio transmitter and installing a new solid state recorder. After the successful completion of those tasks, Lead Flight Director Linda Ham announced Friday evening that the STS-103 mission had met all criteria for complete success. Discovery astronauts are scheduled to release Hubble a little before 5 p.m. CST on Christmas Day.

  Astronauts Steve Smith and John Grunsfeld on Friday installed a transmitter that sends scientific data from Hubble to the ground. The transmitter replaced one that failed in 1998. A second transmitter had successfully carried the load without any disruption to Hubble scientific operations. Since the transmitters are considered very reliable, they were not designed to be replaced in orbit and special tools were developed to make the job easier.

  Smith and Grunsfeld also installed a solid state digital recorder, replacing an older mechanical reel-to-reel recorder version. The digital Solid State Recorder provides more than 10 times the storage capacity of the old unit. They also applied new insulation on two equipment bay doors.

  Both the transmitter and the recorder checked out normally on early tests by telescope controllers.

  Two previous space walks on Wednesday and Thursday had completed the highest priority tasks of the mission. Those tasks included installation of six new gyroscopes and six Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kits, giving Hubble a new computer 20 times faster and with six times the memory of the old computer, and replacement of one of Hubble's three Fine Guidance Sensors.

  Friday's space walk lasted 8 hours and 8 minutes, ending at 9:25 p.m., making it the fourth longest in history. Part of the reason for the length of the space walk was difficulty in hooking Grunsfeld's suit up to orbiter power after he had returned to Discovery's airlock. Friday's space walk brings the total time of STS-103 extravehicular activity to 24 hours, 33 minutes. This mission's three space walks bring the total amount of time spent servicing Hubble to 93 hours, 13 minutes. Space Shuttle Program space walks now total 317 hours, 3 minutes. And Steve Smith now is the astronaut with the second longest combined space walk time, with 35 hours, 33 minutes behind only Jerry Ross, with 44 hours, 11 minutes.

  Discovery is in an orbit with a high point of 380 miles and a low point of 363 miles. All of the orbiter's systems continued to function normally.

• 1999 Dec 25 - EVA STS-103-3  Crew: Smith Steven, Grunsfeld. EVA Type: Extra-Vehicular Activity. EVA Duration: 0.33 days. Spacecraft: Discovery, HST.

  Completed part of the installation of new insulation to the Hubble space telescope. The rest was deferred to the next servicing mission.

• 1999 Dec 25 - STS-103 Mission Status Report #12 

  Christmas Day onboard the Shuttle Discovery began with seasons greetings for Commander Curt Brown, as the crew awoke to Bing Crosby's "I'll Be Home for Christmas."

  "Merry Christmas to all of you down there," replied Brown. "And Hubble will be home for Christmas 'cause today we're going to set her free."

  Discovery's astronauts will be doing the gift-giving this afternoon as they return the Hubble Space Telescope to orbit, allowing it to continue its astronomical observations. About 1:45 p.m. CST, European Space Agency astronaut Jean-Francois Clervoy will use Discovery's robot arm to firmly grasp the telescope. After a series of commands to disconnect from external power and confirm Hubble is ready for release, Clervoy will gently lift it out of the support structure in Discovery's payload bay where it has rested since he first plucked it from orbit on December 21. The telescope's aperture door will be commanded open and at 4:50 p.m., Clervoy will release the upgraded telescope.

  Hubble's capabilities were enhanced over the course of three spacewalks, lasting a combined total of 24 hours, 33 minutes. Spacewalking astronauts Steve Smith, John Grunsfeld, Mike Foale and Claude Nicollier installed six new gyroscopes, six Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kits, a new more efficient computer, and a refurbished Fine Guidance Sensor. Functional checks and tests of the hardware indicate that the new equipment is working properly and will further enhance the Hubble's scientific capabilities.

  This afternoon, the spacewalking team, including arm operator Clervoy, will take a break from their duties to discuss the progress of the mission so far in a series of interviews with CNN, the Associated Press and the Fox News Network. That interview is scheduled for 7:12 p.m. today.

  Discovery is in an orbit with a high point of 380 miles and a low point of 363 miles with all systems on board performing well.

• 1999 Dec 25 - STS-103 Mission Status Report #13 

  Discovery's astronauts delivered a Christmas present to the world today, putting the Hubble Space Telescope back in service after 24 hours and 33 minutes of repairs and upgrades that make the orbital observatory more capable than ever.

  European Space Agency Astronaut Jean-Francois Clervoy used the shuttle's robot arm to gently release the telescope at 5:03 p.m. CST, then placed the arm into an upright salute as Commander Curt Brown fired Discovery's steering jets to begin separating from the telescope.

  The telescope's re-deployment took place at an altitude of 370 statute miles as the two spacecraft flew over the South Pacific's Coral Sea northeast of Australia, its aperture door opened to the heavens before the release.

  By 5:30 p.m. CST, controllers at the Space Telescope Operations Control Center in Maryland were reporting that the telescope was in normal operating mode. Controllers will perform two weeks of testing before resuming observations with the telescope.

  "The HST is now orbiting freely once again and is in fantastic shape," Hubble Space Telescope Program Manager John Campbell said after the release. "The spacecraft is being guided by its new gyros, under the control of its brand new computer. The Hubble team is very grateful to the Discovery crew, to the launch and flight teams and to all those who made this mission so successful. We especially thank the families of the entire STS-103 team, who made so many personal sacrifices at this holiday season, enabling the Hubble Space Telescope to resume its voyage of discovery."

  At 5:39 p.m. CST, Brown executed a second steering jet burn, lowering Discovery's orbit slightly, so that it would begin orbiting faster than the telescope and move away at just under 6 statute miles per orbit. Afterward, each of the seven astronauts on board called down holiday wishes from space in several languages.

  "The familiar Christmas story reminds us that for millennia, people of many faiths and cultures have looked to the skies and studied the stars and planets in their search for a deeper understanding of life and for greater wisdom," radioed Brown. "We, the Discovery crew and this mission to the Hubble Space Telescope, are very proud to be part of this ongoing search beyond ourselves. We hope and trust that the lessons the universe has to teach us will speak to the yearning that we know is in human hearts everywhere -- the yearning for peace on Earth, good will among all the human family. As we stand at the threshold of a new millennium, we send you all our greetings."

  Over the course of three space walks, Astronauts Steve Smith, John Grunsfeld, Mike Foale and Claude Nicollier installed six new gyroscopes, six Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kits, a new more efficient computer, and a refurbished Fine Guidance Sensor. Functional checks and tests of the hardware indicate that the new equipment is working well.

  The space-walking team, including arm operator Clervoy, also took a break from their duties to discuss the progress of the mission so far in a series of interviews with CNN, the Associated Press and the Fox News Network.

  The crew is scheduled to go to bed just before midnight Central time and wake up at 7:50 a.m. Sunday to begin a day of preparations for Monday's landing. Discovery is in a 363 by 380 statute mile orbit with all systems on board performing well.

• 1999 Dec 26 - STS-103 Mission Status Report #14 

  With their primary mission objectives successfully completed, Discovery's astronauts today begin preparing their spacecraft for its scheduled return to Earth Monday, checking out the flight control system and reaction control jets that support re-entry.

  The seven astronauts were awakened at 7:50 a.m. to the song "We're So Good Together" by Reba McEntyre, played for Pilot Scott Kelly at the request of his wife.

  This afternoon, Commander Curt Brown and Kelly will check out Discovery's flight control systems and surfaces to support Monday's planned return to the Kennedy Space Center. Later in the day, the astronauts will begin stowing the equipment they've used during the past week on orbit and start buttoning up Discovery's on-orbit systems. The Ku-band antenna, which provides most of the capacity for data and television relay, will be stowed around 8:45 p.m. today.

  As the STS-103 mission winds down, the newly refurbished Hubble Space Telescope slowly moves through its checkout sequence prior to resuming science operations. Discovery's four space-walking astronauts spent 24 hours and 33 minutes upgrading and refurbishing the orbiting observatory, making it more capable than ever to renew its observations of the universe.

  Hubble was released from the end of Discovery's robot arm at 5:03 p.m. Christmas Day. Less than half an hour later, controllers at the Space Telescope Operations Control Center in Maryland reported that the telescope was in normal operating mode. Controllers will perform two weeks of testing before observations resume. At 8 a.m. today, Hubble was approximately 45 miles away from Discovery and separating at the rate of about five miles per 90-minute orbit.

  Also on tap at 10:50 a.m. today is the crew in-flight press conference with media at NASA Centers in the U.S. and reporters at European Space Agency sites in Geneva and Paris.

• 1999 Dec 26 - STS-103 Mission Status Report #15 

  Following the successful deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope yesterday, the seven man crew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery turned its attention today to preparing for the return to Kennedy Space Center late tomorrow afternoon.

  STS-103 Commander Curt Brown, along with Pilot Scott Kelly, first performed checks of the Flight Control System by activating one of the three Auxiliary Power Units aboard Discovery to allow them to test the various aerosurfaces that will be used to steer the Shuttle once it has re-entered the atmosphere. The crew then did a check of the Reaction Control System, the maneuvering jets that steer Discovery while the Shuttle is in space. Both the FCS and RCS checkouts were without issue, with all systems ready to support Discovery's return to Earth.

  The weather forecast for the two available landing sites is very good for both a nominal end of mission as well as the two extension days that are planned into every Shuttle flight. The prediction for KSC on Monday is for only a few clouds at the upper levels and very good visibility. The only possible concern is crosswinds that are predicted to be near the peak of what is allowed at the three-mile-long Shuttle Landing Facility at KSC. Weather at the alternate landing site at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, California also is predicted to be very good on Monday, with only a few high clouds and light winds. The extended forecast for both landing sites on Tuesday and Wednesday shows continued favorable weather.

  At tonight's mission status briefing, Entry Flight Director Wayne Hale said that given the very good forecast at both landing sites for the next three days, the Shuttle team's current plan for Monday afternoon would be to try for the first two landing opportunities at KSC. If Discovery cannot land on one of those opportunities and the weather forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday remains the same, Discovery and her crew would be kept in orbit one additional day to try and allow a KSC landing on Tuesday. Shuttle managers would like to land at KSC if possible in order to avoid the work associated with transporting an orbiter from California back to Florida.

  The first opportunity to land at KSC on Monday takes place on orbit 118 with a deorbit burn at 3:06 p.m. CST and a landing at KSC at 4:18 p.m. The second opportunity on orbit 119 would have a deorbit burn taking place at 4:49 p.m. and a landing at KSC at 6:00 p.m. CST. A third and final opportunity for a KSC landing is available on orbit 120 if needed. The third opportunity has a deorbit burn at 6:32 p.m. and landing at 7:43 p.m. CST.

  Should the extended weather forecast change, there are landing opportunities at the Edwards site on the same three orbits, along with an additional opportunity on orbit 121.

  The STS-103 crew will begin a planned eight-hour sleep period at 11:20 p.m. this evening. A wake-up call from Mission Control to begin what should be their final day in space for this flight will come at 7:20 a.m. on Monday.

• 1999 Dec 27 - STS-103 Mission Status Report #16 

  With promising weather forecast for the Kennedy Space Center, preparations are under way to bring the seven-member crew of Discovery home following a successful mission to refurbish and repair the Hubble Space Telescope.

  The crew's day began with a wake-up call from Mission Control, "The Cup of Life," sung by Ricky Martin. The music was the official song of France '98 World Cup Soccer and was played for Mission Specialist #2, Jean-Francois Clervoy of the European Space Agency at the request of his son.

  Entry Flight Director Wayne Hale and his team of flight controllers have three attempts to bring Discovery home to Florida today. The first opportunity would see a firing of the Shuttle's large orbital maneuvering system engines at 3:06 p.m. to drop Discovery out of orbit and begin its high speed reentry toward Earth. Landing would occur at 4:18 p.m. Central time (5:18 p.m. EST).

  The second opportunity would see a deorbit burn at 4:48 p.m., resulting in a landing at 6:01 p.m. Central time (7:01 p.m. EST). The final opportunity for the day would have the deorbit burn occurring at 6:31 p.m. with landing to follow at 7:43 p.m. Central (8:43 p.m. EST). If Discovery lands on either of the last two opportunities, Commander Curt Brown and his crew would make the 13th night landing in Shuttle program history.

  The entry flight controllers will be receiving updated weather forecasts throughout the day, however the initial prediction is for favorable weather with a few high level clouds. Earlier predictions of cross winds at or near acceptable limits appear to be trending in a positive direction. Weather at the alternate landing site at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, California also is predicted to be very good today although KSC is the prime landing site for today's opportunities.

• 1999 Dec 27 - STS-103 Mission Status Report #17 

  The seven astronauts aboard Space Shuttle Discovery glided to a smooth landing at the Kennedy Space Center, wrapping up their eight-day mission to refurbish and repair the Hubble Space Telescope.

  After waving off the first landing opportunity of the day because of a concern with cross winds at the landing site, the crew was given a "go" to perform the deorbit burn which came at 4:48 p.m. CST and caused Discovery to fall out of its 380 statute mile high orbit to start the journey home to the Kennedy Space Center.

  With Commander Curt Brown at the controls, Discovery touched down at 6:01 p.m CST on Runway 33 at the three mile long Shuttle Landing Facility runway at KSC to complete a mission spanning almost 3.3 million miles. Pilot Scott Kelly, Flight Engineer Jean-Francois Clervoy and Mission Specialist Michael Foale joined Brown on the flight deck for entry and landing. Mission Specialists Steve Smith, John Grunsfeld and Claude Nicollier were seated down in the middeck. The end of the STS-103 mission marked the 20th consecutive landing at the Florida spaceport and the 13th night landing in the history of the Shuttle program.

  Left behind in orbit, the Hubble Space Telescope now features six new gyroscopes, six new voltage/temperature improvement kits, a new onboard computer, a new solid state recorder and new data transmitter, a new fine guidance sensor along with new insulation on parts of the orbiting telescope.

  The STS-103 crew will spend the evening in Florida before returning to Houston on Tuesday. The crew is expected to leave Patrick Air Force Base in Cocoa Beach, FL at approximately 1:30 p.m. CST. The crew should land at Ellington Field at about 5 p.m. where the seven astronauts will be greeted by JSC management and center employees. The crew return ceremony will occur at Hangar 990 and is open to the general public.

• 1999 Dec 28 - Landing of STS-103 

  STS-103 landed at 00:01 GMT.