Astronauts to install new gyroscopes in Hubble
May 15, 2009
In this photo provided Thursday, May 14, 2009, by NASA shows astronaut Andrew Feustel, mission specialist, performing work on the Hubble Space Telescope as the first of five STS-125 spacewalks kicks off a week's work on the orbiting observatory. The shuttle is perched on the end of the Canadian-built remote manipulator system. Feustel, teamed with astronaut John Grunsfeld, not pictured, will join the veteran spacewalker on two of the remaining four sessions of extravehicular activity later in the mission. (AP Photo/NASA)
(AP) -- Spacewalking astronauts are about to tackle NASA's No. 1 priority in fixing the Hubble Space Telescope.
Astronauts on Friday morning will try to install six new gyroscopes, which are crucial because they help the telescope point in the right direction.
Although this is the second of five spacewalks, NASA managers listed replacing the gyros as their top priority because three of them are broken. The access to the gyros is kind of tricky.
Atlantis astronauts Mike Massimino and Mike Good will also replace three crucial batteries on the telescope.
On Thursday, astronauts successfully swapped out a nearly 16-year-old camera for a new one the size of a baby grand piano. And they replaced a balky computer data device.
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May 14, 2009 |
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