While NASA was preparing for ServicingMission 3B (SM3B), technicians found thata computer virus had scrambled the missionmasterplan! The masterplan is the sequenceof events for the mission, including theshuttle launch and EVAs (extra-vehicularactivities, or spacewalks). We�re depending on you to un-muddle themission! Help put the events back in order!

You�ll receive 10 pages, each depicting adifferent stage or event in the mission. Readeach page carefully and keep track of clueson your Mission Mastermind worksheet. Thenuse your notes to reconstruct the logical orderof events. Fill in the correct order in the areaprovided on your worksheet. Help keep Hubble humming in 2002!

HELP! THE MISSION’S IN A MESS!

WHAT TO DO:

SM3Bmissionpatch

Be the …

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MASTERMIND

Save the day!

Reconstruct the

order of events

for Hubble Space

Telescope’s 2002

Servicing Mission

http://amazing-space.stsci.edu

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Redeployment Following repairs, the telescopeis redeployed in its boosted orbit.To do this, the shuttle arm graspsthe telescope, places it safelyaway from the shuttle, andreleases it. The shuttle thengently pulls away and the HubbleSpace Telescope is ready to beginto put its new components towork.

Release from the shuttle armA

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Hubble Gets a NewCamera and a Boost

New Camera: Seeing More for Less With its wide field of view, superb imagequality, and exquisite sensitivity, Hubble'snewest science instrument, the AdvancedCamera for Surveys (ACS) will have 10times more �discovery power� than theFaint Object Camera (FOC) it replaces. Inother words, the ACS will be able to collect10 times more data than the FOC wascapable of gathering. ACS sees in wavelengths ranging fromvisible to far ultraviolet. It is actually ateam of three different cameras withspecialized capabilities: Its high-resolutioncamera will take very detailed pictures ofthe inner regions of galaxies and searchneighboring stars for planets and planets-to-be. Its �solar blind� camera, which blocksvisible light to enhance ultraviolet sensitivity,will study weather on planets in our ownsolar system, among other things. And its�wide field� camera will help scientistsunderstand how our universe evolved bysurveying the nature and distribution ofgalaxies. The ACS is the only new instrumentbeing added to the telescope on this mission.After it is installed, the rest of the missionis devoted to bringing an old instrumentback to life.

Getting a Lift If possible, before the last EVA, theshuttle will carry Hubble to a higher altitude. Although the atmosphere is quite thinat satellite altitudes, it is not a perfectvacuum. Over time, all Low Earth Orbiting(LEO) satellites feel the effects ofatmospheric drag and lose altitude. If thealtitude is not restored, the satellite willeventually re-enter the Earth�s atmosphereand fall to Earth. Hubble has no on-boardpropulsion, so the only way to restore lostaltitude is by carefully firing the shuttle�sjets, boosting the telescope�s orbit while itis still attached to the shuttle.

Installation mock-up

The ACSB

ACS

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Before theastronauts canservice the HubbleSpace Telescope,they must"capture" it byusing the shuttle

arm. Both the shuttle and thetelescope must be preciselypositioned for the capture toproceed without risk of damagingthe telescope. Once secured on thearm, the telescope can bemaneuvered into the shuttle's cargobay for servicing. These delicateprocedures take hours of practiceon Earth before the mission flight.

Capturing the Telescope

The telescope on shuttle armC

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Astronaut Trainingin Water Tanks Becoming skilled at any activity,whether it�s playing a sport, makingmusic, baking a cake, or installingsensitive equipment on the HubbleSpace Telescope, requires practice. Amazingly, astronauts rehearsetheir servicing mission tasks in verylarge swimming pools. Floatingunderwater simulates theweightlessness the astronautsexperience in space. Being weightless and bundled inbulky space suits during space walksmakes even simple tasks very difficult.So, astronauts in training �suit up�and are lowered into the water topractice every activity over and overagain on a submerged model of thespace telescope. The National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration (NASA) usesinformation gathered from thesepractice sessions to plan the actualmission and to create a manifest.

D Training underwater

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PCUinstallation

Hubble Gets a NewHeart: The PowerControl Unit As Hubble's power-switchingstation, the Power Control Unit (PCU)controls and distributes electricityfrom the solar arrays and batteriesto other parts of the telescope. The new PCU increases thereliability and longevity of thetelescope. It handles the increasedpower from the new solar arraysbetter than the old PCU could have. Replacing the original PCU, whichhas been on the job for 11 years, willrequire the Hubble to be completelypowered down for the first time sinceits launch in 1990. Anytime somethingis �turned off,� there is a risk that itmay not �turn on� again. The switch-out is a verycomplicated process: there are 36different connectors that have to betaken off the old PCU and put on thenew one. This will take a lot of time,so an entire day is devoted to makingthis change. The PCU is the heart of the HubbleSpace Telescope. Its successfulreplacement is this mission�s secondmost important task, afterreplacement of the solar arrays.

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Preparing the MissionPriorities and EVA Schedule

The National Aeronauticsand Space Administration(NASA) creates a manifest foreach mission. The manifestdisplays the new componentsthat will be installed on thetelescope, in order ofimportance. From information in themanifest, NASA prepares the�Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA)schedule� (see below). The EVAschedule lists the space walksthe astronauts will perform toservice the Hubble SpaceTelescope, showing when taskswill be conducted and the timeit will take to complete them.

F

UnschEVA

Proposed HST SM-3B EVA Schedule

Setup

1 hr. 2 hr. 3 hr. 4 hr. 5 hr. 6 hr.

Solar Array 3 (SA3)3 hrs. 15 min. Close

SetSolar Array 3 (SA3) Close

SetPower Control Unit (PCU)

Close

Elapsed time:

SetAdvanced Camera for Surveys

(ACS) and other tasks Close

PCUprep

PCUcleanup

SetNICMOS Cryocooler System (NCS) Close

Othertasks

Contingencies (Unscheduled)

EVA1

EVA2

EVA3

EVA4

EVA5

3 hrs. 15 min.

1 hr. 10 min.

40 min.

5 hrs. 15 min.

4 hrs.15 min. 40 min.

4 hrs. 15 min.

6 hrs.

In this mission, Hubble getsvital replacement parts thattake advantage of the newesttechnology and will help ensurethe health and well-being ofthe telescope. It also gets onenew instrument that replacesan older, less advanced one. Notice that scientificinstruments and equipment arelisted on the EVA schedule asacronyms. Scientists use theseabbreviations because manyprojects and instruments havelong names. The shorteracronym saves space onthe chart.

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All space shuttleslaunch from CapeCanaveral onFlorida�s easterncoast. The Cape, astrip of marsh andsand midway

between Jacksonville and Miami,is ideal for launches and landingsbecause of its open spaces andyear-round mild weather. From this latitude, the earth�srotational speed adds 600 mph tothe shuttle�s eventual orbital speedof about 17,500 mph. This is fastenough to circle the earth in 90minutes, enabling the crew to enjoya sunrise or sunset every 45minutes!

Launching the Shuttle

CapeCanaveral

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LandingMost shuttles landat Cape Canaveralin eastern Florida.Since each shuttleis refitted andlaunched at theCape, it is more

economical to end each missionthere, too. Edwards Air Force Base, insouthern California, is thesecondary landing facility. Weatherconditions at each landing facilitydetermine which one is used.

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CapeCanaveral

EdwardsAir ForceBase

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NICMOS Cryocooler

The last piece of equipmenton the manifest is the NICMOScryocooler. Astronauts willretrofit an existing but dormantinstrument called the NearInfrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS)with a new, experimentalcooling system to return it toactive duty. NICMOS was Hubble�sinfrared �eyes� until it lost thecoolant necessary to chill itsinfrared detectors. Infrareddetectors must be kept cold inorder to sense the heat ofinfrared light. By fitting NICMOS

See how NICMOS �busts the dust� that obscures our view ofstar birth in the Orion Nebula and star death in the Egg Nebula.

High-tech refrigeratorfor NICMOS

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NICMOS “busts the dust”

Example 1:

Star birth at the heart of Orion

NICMOS�sinfrared view

Visible lightimage

with the experimentalcryogenic system, NASAhopes to re-cool its detectorsto �334°F (�203°C or 70 K)and revive its infrared vision. Infrared vision allowsNICMOS to see throughclouds of interstellar dust.This dust obscures visible andultraviolet light, but someinfrared light can passthrough it. With NICMOSrevived, we will once againbe able to see through thickhazes to study the evolutionof galaxies, stars, and planetsthat lie hidden within.

Example 2:

Star death in the Egg Nebula

Visible lightimage

NICMOS�sinfrared view

Solar Array 3 (SA3)Installation Once the telescope is in theshuttle's cargo bay, the astronautscan begin replacing instruments andequipment. They will accomplish theirtasks while at least one of them isattached to the shuttle arm. The armserves as a dolly, allowing theastronaut to move conveniently fromone location to another. The first parts of the telescope tobe replaced are the four large, flexiblesolar arrays, which have poweredHubble for over 8 years. Radiationand debris take their toll on thesensitive electronics in the panels,which makes the solar arraysunreliable. To ensure an uninterruptedsupply of energy for the remainderof the mission, new solar arrays arebeing installed. Although these arraysare one-third smaller, they takeadvantage of current technology andproduce slightly more power thanthe old arrays. Since they don�t rollup, the arrays are rigid and lesssusceptible to extreme temperatures,and their smaller size will reduce theeffects of atmospheric drag on thespacecraft. Once removed, the old solar arrayswill be stored in the shuttle�s cargobay and returned to Earth, as will allthe replaced instruments andequipment.

J

Solar array in cleanroom

New rigid solar arrays

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Acronym (n.) – A word formed from the initial letters of a name or compound term, suchas ‘WAC’ for Women’s Army Corps or ‘radar’ for radio detecting and ranging.

Altitude (n.) – The distance between an object and the earth's surface.

Cleanroom (n.) – A room housing sensitive equipment, such as delicate optics and precisionelectronics, that cannot be contaminated with dust. Cleanrooms are 10,000 times cleanerthan a hospital operating room. Such cleanliness is incredibly hard to achieve and maintain.Huge air filtration systems completely change the air in cleanrooms about 10 times perminute. People working in cleanrooms must wear special dust-free clothing.

Cryocooler (n.) – A miniature refrigerator designed to cool spacecraft instruments to verylow temperatures. The system’s coolant is often a super-cooled gas, such as liquid nitrogenor liquid helium.

Cryogenic (adj.) – Of or relating to the production of very low temperatures.

Electromagnetic spectrum (n.) – The entire range of wavelengths of the electromagneticradiation, from radio waves, to infrared, visible and ultraviolet light, to X-rays and gammarays.

Field of view (n.) – The amount of sky visible through a telescope.

Infrared (IR) light (n.) – A region of the electromagnetic spectrum not visible to the humaneye. This spectral region is analogous to sounds that are too low for the human ear to hear.Waves of IR light are slightly longer in length and slightly lower in frequency than thoseof visible light. IR light can be detected as the heat from a fire or light bulb.

Instrument (n.) – Any device that measures and records energy from astronomical objects.

Manifest (n.) – A list of activities to be accomplished, which are sometimes ranked in orderof priority.

Nebula (n.) – A general term used in astronomy to indicate any light or dark patch of thenight sky that is “fuzzy,” or not sharply defined, as a star or planet would be.

Orbit (n.) – The path a satellite takes around a celestial body.

Radiation (n.) – All wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum, including radio, infrared,visible, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays.

Retrofit (v.) – To provide with new equipment or parts that were unavailable at the timeof original manufacture or construction.

Spectrometer (n.) – An instrument that divides light into its array of colors and recordsthe information.

Switch-out (n.) – The process of replacing an old, outdated instrument or piece of equipmentwith an updated version.

Ultraviolet (UV) light (n.) – Situated beyond the visible region of the electromagneticspectrum. Its location on the spectrum is analogous to sounds that are too high for thehuman ear to hear. Waves of UV light are slightly shorter in length and slightly higher infrequency than those of visible light. On Earth, too much UV light causes sunburns.

“Mission Mastermind” Glossary Words

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