TIM FURNISS / LONDON
New camera, part of a major upgrade, will allow astronomers to see into distant universe, over 12 million light years away
The fourth Space Shuttle servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) will be launched on 28 February to install a new camera that will improve the observatory's imaging capability by a factor of 10. The camera is part of a $178 million equipment upgrade for the telescope.
Five spacewalks are planned for the seven-crew STS 109 mission being flown by the orbiter Columbia, which is fitted with a new glass cockpit. Columbia made the first Space Shuttle mission in April 1981 and has flown 26 times.
The STS 109 crew will install the Advanced Camera for Surveys, which will replace the Faint Object Camera on the telescope. It will enable astronomers to look into the distant universe, more than 12 million light years away.
The Hubble's solar arrays will be replaced by a new, lighter pair with 20 times more electrical power generation capability. A reaction wheel assembly, a power control unit and other smaller pieces of equipment will also be replaced.
An existing but dormant instrument, the Near Infrared Camera and Multi Object Spectrometer, will be upgraded with a new, experimental cooling system and returned to active service.
The HST was launched on the Shuttle in 1990. The first servicing mission, in December 1993, included the installation of a purpose-built instrument to correct the optics of the main mirror, which was slightly distorted. Further servicing flights were made in February 1997 and December 1999.
A final servicing mission will be conducted within five years to replace the corrective optics system with a Cosmic Origins Spectrograph and to install a third Wide Field Camera, a new aft shroud cooling system and a fine guidance sensor.
Another mission is planned in 10 years' time to "secure" the HST. This could involve boosting it into a higher "safe" orbit, preventing a dangerous re-entry and possible break-up in the atmosphere. A more favoured option is to retrieve the HST and return it to Earth.
Five more Space Shuttle missions are planned for this year, four of which will rotate crews and supply equipment to the International Space Station. One will be an independent 16-day science research mission.
Source: Flight International
