STS-109

STS-109

The Hubble Space Telescope in Columbia's payload bay towards the end of the mission
Names	Space Transportation System-109
Mission type	Hubble servicing
Operator	NASA
COSPAR ID	2002-010A
SATCAT no.	27388
Mission duration	10 days, 22 hours, 11 minutes, 09 seconds
Distance travelled	6,300,000 kilometres (3,900,000 mi)
Orbits completed	165
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Space Shuttle Columbia
Launch mass	116,989 kg (257,917 lb)
Landing mass	100,564 kg (221,706 lb)
Crew
Crew size	7
Members	Scott D. Altman Duane G. Carey John M. Grunsfeld Nancy J. Currie Richard M. Linnehan James H. Newman Michael J. Massimino
Start of mission
Launch date	1 March 2002 11:22:02 (2002-03-01UTC11:22:02Z) UTC
Launch site	Kennedy, LC-39A
End of mission
Landing date	12 March 2002 09:33:10 (2002-03-12UTC09:33:11Z) UTC
Landing site	Kennedy, SLF Runway 33
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Low Earth
Perigee altitude	486 km (302 mi)
Apogee altitude	578 km (359 mi)
Inclination	28.5 degrees
Period	95.3 minutes
(L-R): Michael J. Massimino, Richard M. Linnehan, Duane G. Carey, Scott D. Altman, Nancy J. Currie, John M. Grunsfeld and James H. Newman. Space Shuttle program ←  STS-108 STS-110  → Hubble Space Telescope missions ←  STS-103 (SM3A) STS-125 (SM4) →

STS-109 (SM3B) was a Space Shuttle mission that launched from the Kennedy Space Center on 1 March 2002. It was the 108th mission of the Space Shuttle program, ^[1] the 27th flight of the orbiter Columbia ^[1] and the fourth servicing of the Hubble Space Telescope. ^[2] It was also the last successful mission of the orbiter Columbia before the ill-fated STS-107 mission, which culminated in the Columbia disaster.

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was placed in orbit during mission STS-31 on 25 April 1990. ^[3] Initially designed to operate for 15 years, plans for periodic service and refurbishment were incorporated into its mission from the start. ^[4] After the successful completion of the second planned service mission (SM2) by the crew of STS-82 in February 1997, three of the telescope's six gyroscopes failed. NASA decided to split the third planned service mission into two parts, SM3A and SM3B. ^[5] A fifth and final servicing mission, STS-125 (SM4) launched on 11 May 2009. ^[6] The work performed during SM4 kept HST in operation through 2024. ^[7]

Crew

Position	Astronaut
Commander	Scott D. Altman Third spaceflight
Pilot	Duane G. Carey Only spaceflight
Mission Specialist 1	John M. Grunsfeld Fourth spaceflight
Mission Specialist 2 Flight Engineer	Nancy J. Currie Fourth and last spaceflight
Mission Specialist 3	Richard M. Linnehan Third spaceflight
Mission Specialist 4	James H. Newman Fourth and last spaceflight
Mission Specialist 5	Michael J. Massimino First spaceflight

Crew seat assignments

Seat [8]	Launch	Landing	Seats 1–4 are on the flight deck. Seats 5–7 are on the mid-deck.
1	Altman
2	Carey
3	Grunsfeld	Linnehan
4	Currie-Gregg
5	Linnehan	Grunsfeld
6	Newman
7	Massimino

Spacewalks

Hubble Space Telescope sporting new solar arrays during SM3B.

EVA	Team	Start – UTC	End – UTC	Duration
1	Grunsfeld Linnehan	4 March 2002, 06:37	4 March 2002, 13:38	7:01
2	Newman Massimino	5 March 2002, 06:40	5 March 2002, 13:56	7:16
3	Grunsfeld Linnehan	6 March 2002, 08:28	6 March 2002, 15:16	6:48
4	Newman Massimino	7 March 2002, 09:00	7 March 2002, 16:18 [9] [10]	7:18
5	Grunsfeld Linnehan	8 March 2002, 08:46	8 March 2002, 16:18 [9] [11]	7:32

Mission highlights

Hubble Space Telescope after servicing by the crew of STS-109

The purpose of STS-109 was to service the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). It was Columbia's first flight following an extensive two and a half year modification period (its most recent mission being STS-93). During the mission the crew installed a new science instrument, the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), new rigid solar arrays (SA3), a new Power Control Unit (PCU) and an experimental cryocooler for the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS). Columbia also reboosted HST to a higher orbit.

STS-109 Launch (March 1, 2002)

Astronauts remove the FOC to make room for the ACS

The STS-109 astronauts performed a total of five spacewalks in five consecutive days to service and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. The spacewalkers received assistance from their crewmates inside Columbia. Currie operated the Shuttle's robot arm while Altman was her backup. Carey and Altman documented the EVAs with video and still images.

Accomplishments of the spacewalks included the installation of new solar arrays, a new camera, a new Power Control Unit, a Reaction Wheel Assembly and an experimental cooling system for the NICMOS unit. STS-109 accumulated a total of 35 hours, 55 minutes of EVA time. Following STS-109, a total of 18 spacewalks had been conducted during four Space Shuttle missions to service Hubble (the others being STS-61, STS-82, STS-103 and STS-125) for a total of 129 hours, 10 minutes by 14 different astronauts.

Hubble on the payload bay just prior to being released by the STS-109 crew.

View of the Eastern Ranges of the Andean natural region, taken from STS-109.
Lake Tota is clearly visible.

Columbia made its twenty-seventh and last successful landing at Kennedy Space Center, as on its next mission, STS-107, it disintegrated on re-entry, killing all aboard.

STS-109 is considered a night launch, as sunrise was at 6:47 am, and Columbia launched at 6:22 am EST, 25 minutes before sunrise.

Attempt	Planned	Result	Turnaround	Reason	Decision point	Weather go (%)	Notes
1	28 Feb 2002, 6:48:14 am	Scrubbed	—	Technical	27 Feb 2002, 3:20 pm	60	Wrong bearings installed on Columbia's main landing gear. [12]
2	1 Mar 2002, 6:22:02 am	Success	0 days 23 hours 34 minutes			80	[13]

See also

• Spaceflight portal

• List of human spaceflights
• List of Space Shuttle missions
• Outline of space science

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration .

1. "Mission STS-109". NASA. Archived from the original on 18 March 2017. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
2. "The Hubble Space Telescope: SM3B". NASA. Archived from the original on 22 January 2009. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
3. "The Hubble Space Telescope: Deployment". NASA. Archived from the original on 7 March 2009. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
4. "Servicing History and Long-Term Plans" (PDF). NASA. June 1993. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
5. "The Hubble Space Telescope: SM3A". NASA. Archived from the original on 20 March 2009. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
6. "STS-125: Final Shuttle Mission to Hubble Space Telescope". NASA. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
7. "The Hubble Space Telescope: SM4". NASA. Archived from the original on 22 January 2009. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
8. "STS-109". Spacefacts. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
9. "STS-109 Mission Archives". NASA. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2009.
10. "STS-109 Status Report #14". NASA. 7 March 2002. Archived from the original on 6 April 2002.
11. "STS-109 Status Report #16". NASA. 8 March 2002. Archived from the original on 6 June 2002.
12. "Cold front threatens shuttle launch". CBS News. 26 February 2002. Retrieved 30 August 2009.
13. Harwood, William (1 March 2002). "Columbia rockets into space". CBS News. Retrieved 30 August 2009.

External links

• Status reports – Detailed NASA status reports for each day of the mission.
• NASA mission summary Archived 18 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine
• STS-109 reentry pictures
• ESA/Hubble mission summary
• STS-109 Video Highlights Archived 11 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine