Space and Space Travel News

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- In the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2 at Nasa's Kennedy Space Center, technicians on the Hyster forklift maneuver main engine 1 for installation on the space shuttle.

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- In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 1, the technician on the engine installer moves a shuttle main engine into the opening in space shuttle Atlantis. A pitch-and-yaw system helps maneuver the engine into place. Main engine No. 1 has already been installed. Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett




- In Orbiter Processing Facility bay No. 1, the technician on the engine installer moves a shuttle main engine toward the opening in space shuttle Atlantis. A pitch-and-yaw system helps maneuver the engine into place. Main engine No. 1 has already been installed. Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

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- July 21, 2008: In the high bay of the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, this elevated view shows three carriers undergoing processing for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. From left are the Flight Support System or FSS, the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier or ORUC, and the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier or SLIC. The Multi-Use Lightweight Equipment carrier will be delivered in early August. The carriers will be prepared for the integration of telescope science instruments, both internal and external replacement components, as well as the flight support equipment to be used by the astronauts during the Hubble servicing mission.





- (August 8, 2008) In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, an overhead crane moves the Fine Guidance Sensor Scientific Instrument Protective Enclosure, or FSIPE, cover to be installed on the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier, or ORUC, below. The ORUC is one of three carriers that are being prepared for the integration of telescope science instruments, both internal and external replacement components, as well as the flight support equipment to be used by the astronauts during the fifth and final Hubble servicing mission, STS-125. (more)

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- Space Shuttle Atlantis, STS-125 Mission


- The Servicing Mission 4 Flight Crew in the Goddard clean room during the final flight hardware crew familiarization and training activity at Goddard in preparation for SM4. Credit: NASA





- August 5, 2008: SM4 EVA Astronaut Crew Michael Good, Andrew Feustel, Michael Massimino and John Grunsfeld examine a flight tool container with GSFC engineer Minal Kashkari and HST service mission managers. Credit: NASA/Michael Soluri

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- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center, workers from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center prepare the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, or COS, for instrument testing and integration with the Flight Support System carrier in the clean room of the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. The COS will be installed on the Hubble Space Telescope on space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission. COS will be the most sensitive ultraviolet spectrograph ever flown on Hubble and will probe the "cosmic web" - the large-scale structure of the universe whose form is determined by the gravity of dark matter and is traced by galaxies and intergalactic gas. COS's far-ultraviolet channel has a sensitivity 30 times greater than that of previous spectroscopic instruments for the detection of extremely low light levels. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

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- In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, technicians watch closely as the Hubble Fine Guidance Sensor, or FGS, is lowered onto a work stand. The FGS will be integrated onto the Orbital Replacement Unit carrier in the clean room of the facility. The sensor will extend the pointing control system on the Hubble Space Telescope. On the mission, this FGS will replace one of the three sensors that is failing and thus outfit the telescope with two completely healthy units, which are needed. A third, older FGS aboard the telescope will provide additional target-pointing efficiency and redundancy. Space shuttle Atlantis is targeted to launch on the STS-125 mission. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller





- In the high bay of the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a worker from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center removes the protective wrapping from the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier for the Hubble Space Telescope. The Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier, or SLIC, is one of four carriers supporting hardware for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to service the telescope. (July 18, 2008)

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- (July 21, 2008) In the high bay of the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, three of four carriers supporting the space shuttle Atlantis STS-125 Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission have been unwrapped for final launch processing. The Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier and the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier can be seen through the distinctive soft capture mechanism, or SCM, of the Flight Support System. The SCM will be permanently attached to Hubble’s aft shroud by spacewalking astronauts and will provide a rendezvous and docking target that can be easily seen and recognized by a docking vehicle. The Multi-Use Lightweight Equipment carrier was delivered in early August. The carriers will be prepared for the integration of telescope science instruments, both internal and external replacement. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

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- July 18, 2008: In the high bay of the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier for the Hubble Space Telescope is positioned on a work platform by workers from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier, or ORUC, is one of four carriers supporting hardware for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to service the telescope.

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- (July 18, 2008) In the high bay of the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the Flight Support System for the Hubble Space Telescope is lifted from its transportation canister by workers from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The Flight Support System, or FSS, is one of four carriers supporting hardware for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to service the telescope. The FSS will berth, secure and furnish power to Hubble and also contains the soft capture mechanism to be attached to the telescope. Upon completion of STS-125, the Hubble will provide even deeper and more detailed views of the Universe. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller (more)





- In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the transporter holds the container with the second shipment of hardware space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The container holds the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier, or SLIC, and the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier, or ORUC. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

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- (July 21, 2008) Inside Orbiter Processing Facility 2 at Kennedy Space Center, United Space Alliance technicians inspect the reinforced carbon-carbon, or RCC, panels on Atlantis’ wing leading edges using thermography to detect structural abnormalities. Atlantis' STS-125 mission is the fifth and final shuttle servicing mission to NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. During the mission, the crew will install new instruments on the telescope, including the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph and the Wide Field Camera 3. A refurbished Fine Guidance Sensor will replace one unit of three now onboard. Mission specialists will also install new gyroscopes, batteries and thermal blankets on the telescope. Photo credit: Amanda Diller





- In Orbiter Processing Facility 2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, members of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-126 crew participate in a crew equipment interface test, or CEIT. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

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- The payload canister containing the equipment and hardware for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to the Hubble Space Telescope is moved from the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, to the canister rotation facility. The canister will be transferred to Launch Pad 39A and the payload will be loaded into Atlantis' payload bay. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller





- The first major flight hardware for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope arrives at NASA's Kennedy Space Center to begin preparations for its targeted launch. The payload carriers will be prepared for the integration of telescope science instruments, both internal and external replacement components, as well as the flight support equipment to be used by the astronauts during the servicing mission. The three payload carriers or pallets are the Flight Support System, the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier and the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

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- In Orbiter Processing Facility 1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a worker from United Space Alliance gives the signal that the payload bay doors on space shuttle Atlantis are closed. The payload bay has been thoroughly cleaned and is ready to receive the carriers transporting the instruments and equipment needed to service the Hubble Space Telescope. The mission crew will perform history-making, on-orbit “surgery” on two important science instruments aboard the telescope. After capturing the telescope, two teams of spacewalking astronauts will perform the repairs during five planned spacewalks. Photo credit: NASA/Jack

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- In Orbiter Processing Facility 1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay has been thoroughly cleaned and is ready to receive the carriers transporting the instruments and equipment needed to service the Hubble Space Telescope.

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- Space shuttle Atlantis' Cargo Bay, where 22,000 pounds of Hubble hardware will ride to orbit, as viewed through the external airlock hatch. Photo Credit: NASA





- Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the Multi-Use Logistic Equipment, or MULE, carrier is lowered into the payload canister. It is being placed next to the Flight Support System carrier already in the canister. The MULE is one of four associated with the STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope.





- In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the open doors of the payload canister reveal the first of the carriers associated with the STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope that have been installed in it.

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- In Orbiter Processing Facility 1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the payload bay doors on space shuttle Atlantis are nearly closed. The payload bay has been thoroughly cleaned and is ready to receive the carriers transporting the instruments and equipment needed to service the Hubble Space Telescope.