Conference 7.286::space

    From: "Buckingham-1, Bruce" <Bruce.Buckingham-1@pp.ksc.nasa.gov>
    Subject: 2-7-97 status
    Date: Fri, 7 Feb 1997 15:29:09 -0500
    Sender: owner-shuttle-status@news.ksc.nasa.gov
    Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
    
    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
    FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1997  (3:25 PM EST)
    
    KSC Public Affairs Contact: Bruce Buckingham 407-867-2468 (fax
    407-867-2692)
    E-mail: Bruce.Buckingham-1@kmail.ksc.nasa.gov
    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT
    FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1997  (3:25 PM EST)
    
    KSC Public Affairs Contact: Bruce Buckingham 407-867-2468 (fax
    407-867-2692)
    E-mail: Bruce.Buckingham-1@kmail.ksc.nasa.gov
    
    MISSION: STS-82 -- HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
    SERVICING MISSION - 2
    
    VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103
    LOCATION: Pad 39A
    LAUNCH DATE/TIME: February 11 at 3:56 a.m.
    LAUNCH WINDOW: 65 minutes
    TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/* TIME: February 21 at *1:30 a.m.
    * MISSION DURATION: 9 days, 21 hours, 34 minutes
    CREW: Bowersox, Horowitz, Lee, Hawley, Harbaugh, Smith, Tanner
    ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 360 statute miles/28.45 degrees
    *change from earlier status
    
    NOTE: The crew arrived at KSC at 7:30 a.m. today and were taken to Pad
    39A to view the Hubble Space Telescope servicing payloads in
    Discovery's
    payload bay. The payload bay doors are scheduled to be closed for
    flight
    tonight.
    
            During aft close-out operations last night, cycle tests on two
    aft
    engine compartment vent doors revealed an intermittent failure of the
    doors to operate properly. Trouble-shooting of this problem concluded
    that the power drive unit (PDU) for the vent doors had a bad circuit.
    Managers this afternoon decided to replace the PDU. The additional work
    will delay aft close-outs but should not impact launch on Tuesday. The
    aft doors are now scheduled to be installed Saturday night. The
    countdown remains on schedule to begin at 4 a.m. tomorrow.
    
    STS-82 SCHEDULED OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are target only):
    * Countdown begins (4 a.m. Saturday)
    * Complete aft engine compartment close-outs (Saturday night)
    * Begin loading onboard cryogenic tanks with liquid oxygen and liquid
    hydrogen (Sunday morning)
    * Rotate RSS to launch position (9:30 a.m. Monday)
    * Begin tanking operations (about 7 p.m. Monday)
    
    CREW FOR MISSION STS-82
    Commander (CDR):
    Ken Bowersox
    Pilot (PLT):
    Scott Horowitz
    Mission Specialist (MS1):
    Joe Tanner
    Mission Specialist (MS2):
    Steve Hawley
    Mission Specialist (MS3):
    Greg Harbaugh
    Mission Specialist (MS4):
    Mark Lee
    Mission Specialist (MS5):
    Steve Smith
    
    SUMMARY OF STS-82 LAUNCH DAY CREW ACTIVITIES
    
    Monday, Feb. 10
    7:30 p.m.
    Wake up
    8 p.m.
    Breakfast
    * 11:21 p.m.
    Lunch and crew photo
    11:51 p.m.
    Weather briefing (CDR, PLT, MS2)
    11:51 p.m.
    Don launch and entry suits (MS1, MS3, MS4, MS5)
    
    Tuesday, Feb. 11
    
    12:01 a.m.
    Don launch and entry suits (CDR, PLT, MS2)
    * 12:20 a.m.
    Crew suiting photo
    * 12:31 a.m.
    Depart for launch pad 39A
    * 1:01 a.m.
    Arrive at white room and begin ingress
    * 2:26 a.m.
    Close crew hatch
    * 3:56 a.m.
    Launch
    
    * Televised events (times may vary slightly)
    All times Eastern
    -- end --
    

    
    Shuttle up and away on time  ... 
    
    >>>
    All systems are operating normally, and
    the payload bay doors have been opened.
    Upon opening the doors the crew noticed
    some debris floating around inside the
    bay, but it has been determined that this is
    normal, nothing to cause concern at this time.
    <<<

    STS-82 Report # 01 
    Tuesday, February 11, 1997 - 4 a.m. CST 
     
    Right on time, Discovery and its seven astronauts lifted off from the
    Kennedy Space Center to begin their chase to rendezvous with and
    retrieve the Hubble Space Telescope for its second on-orbit servicing.
    
    Commander Ken Bowersox, Pilot Scott Horowitz and Mission Specialists
    Joe Tanner, Steve Hawley, Greg Harbaugh, Mark Lee and Steve Smith
    rocketed away from Launch Pad 39-A at 2:55 A.M. Central time, arcing
    out over the Atlantic Ocean as the 12-ton Telescope soared over
    Central Africa at an altitude of about 320 statute miles. Eight and a
    half minutes later, Discovery reached orbit, returning to the Shuttle
    fleet for the first time since the summer of 1995 when it was shipped
    to California for a lengthy maintenance period.
    
    Later this morning, the astronauts plan to conduct the first of
    several rendezvous burns of the Shuttle's maneuvering jets to begin to
    close in on Hubble, which is scheduled to be retrieved by Discovery's
    robot arm early Thursday morning. Lee, Smith, Harbaugh and Tanner,
    working in teams, will then conduct four spacewalks to replace two of
    Hubble's key scientific instruments and to install other upgraded
    components.
    
    

    STS-82 Report # 02 
    Tuesday, February 11, 1997 7 p.m. CST 
     
    The STS-82 astronauts will spend the second day of the mission
    preparing Discovery, their tools and even their own bodies for the
    upcoming servicing of the Hubble Space Telescope.
    
    The crew's first activity tonight, after the post-sleep period, will
    be to decrease the atmospheric pressure within the crew cabin to 10.2
    psi. This slightly lower cabin pressure will help spacewalkers Mark
    Lee, Steve Smith, Greg Harbaugh and Joe Tanner maintain the higher
    level of oxygen in their bloodstream necessary to safely operate in
    the even lower pressure of their spacesuits. It also will eliminate
    the need for the spacewalkers."pre-breath" pure oxygen for several
    hours.
    
    About the same time, Mission Specialist Steve Hawley will check out
    the robot arm that he will use to snare the telescope from orbit early
    Thursday morning. He will then use the arm to perform a survey of the
    equipment in the payload bay that will be used during the spacewalks.
    
    Around midnight tonight, crew members will begin checking out the
    tools they will use during the telescope servicing activities, and
    preparing the airlock for the first the four extravehicular
    activities. They will then inspect the tools needed for the rendezvous
    itself. Astronauts will close out the day with a check of their
    spacesuits.
    
    The crew began its day at 6:25 p.m. with the song."Magic Carpet Ride"
    by Steppenwolf.
    
    At the time of crew wake up, Discovery was about 3,100 n.m. behind the
    telescope and was closing at a rate of 305 n.m. per orbit. The HST
    control team will shortly begin to shut down the telescope's systems
    to prepare it for the servicing mission. Capture of the telescope is
    currently expected at 1:50 a.m. Thursday morning with the first
    spacewalk taking place late that night. All systems on both spacecraft
    are performing as expected.
    

    STS-82 Report # 03
    
    Wednesday, February 12, 1997 6:30 a.m. CST
    
    Discovery's seven astronauts spent their first full day on orbit
    preparing for tomorrow's retrieval of the Hubble Space Telescope by
    checking out the Shuttle's robot arm, surveying the payload bay
    worksites and testing the spacesuits that will be used for the four
    planned spacewalks beginning Thursday night.
    
    Using the Shuttle's 50-foot remote manipulator system, Mission
    Specialist Steve Hawley conducted a survey of the payload bay while
    putting the arm through its paces to verify it's health in support the
    capture of the telescope, which is scheduled at 1:50 A.M.  Central
    time tomorrow.
    
    The crew cabin's atmospheric pressure was lowered to reduce the amount
    of time required to prebreathe oxygen prior to the spacewalks to be
    conducted by Mark Lee, Steve Smith, Greg Harbaugh and Joe
    Tanner. Those spacewalks are scheduled to occur on consecutive nights
    beginning Thursday at about 10:20 p.m.
    
    To prepare for the spacewalks, the astronauts assembled on the middeck
    to checkout all of the tools they will use while servicing the
    telescope. They successfully tested the spacesuits they will wear
    while working around and in Hubble in the open cargo bay.
    
    Commander Ken Bowersox and Pilot Scott Horowitz conducted additional
    rendezvous maneuvers this morning, designed to adjust Discovery's
    closing rate on the telescope so the Shuttle will arrive about 2400
    feet below Hubble an hour before its scheduled retrieval in the
    morning. At 6 A.M., Discovery was less than a thousand miles behind
    the telescope and closing at the preplanned rate.
    
    The astronauts are scheduled to begin an eight hour sleep period at
    about 9:30 this morning and will receive a wakeup call from Mission
    Control at 5:25 this afternoon to begin rendezvous activities.
    
    Discovery continues to orbit the Earth at an altitude of 360 statute
    miles will all of this systems in excellent shape.
    
    

    STS-82 Report # 04 
    Tuesday, February 12, 1997 5 p.m. CST 
     
     With its aperture door closed and antennas secure, the Hubble Space
    Telescope is standing by to be plucked from its orbit for servicing by
    the STS-82 crew.
    
      Tonight, Commander Ken Bowersox and Pilot Scott Horowitz will
    perform the final series of thruster firings to bring the Space
    Shuttle Discovery within robot arm's reach of the orbiting
    telescope. The maneuver that signals the final stage of the
    rendezvous, known as the Terminal Initiation or."TI burn," will occur
    shortly after midnight in Houston. Then, as the orbiter approaches,
    Bowersox will control firing of the steering jets to make sure they do
    not contaminate the sensitive HST instruments.
    
      When Discovery and HST are close enough, Mission Specialist Steve
    Hawley will use the orbiter's robot arm to gently capture the
    telescope and pull it to its work platform in the payload bay. Grapple
    is scheduled for 2:15 a.m. CST and berthing will occur at
    approximately 3 a.m. Astronauts will then use the cameras on the robot
    arm and in the payload bay to give Hubble's ground control team a
    chance to inspect the exterior of the telescope for the first time
    since the first servicing mission in 1993.
    
      The tools and systems needed for the rendezvous operations and the
    four six-hour spacewalks were checked by crew members during the
    second day of the mission. All systems are ready to support the
    servicing operations.
    
      The first of the spacewalks is set to begin at about 10:20
    p.m. Thursday night with astronauts Mark Lee and Steve Smith serving
    as the EVA crew members. Lee and Smith will perform the first and
    third spacewalks while astronauts Greg Harbaugh and Joe Tanner perform
    the second and fourth.
    
      The crew will start the third day of the mission at 5:25 p.m. CST as
    Discovery moves 60 n.m. closer to HST every time it orbits the Earth.
    

    STS-82 Report # 05 
    Thursday, February 13, 1997, 6 A.M. CST 
     
    Discovery's astronauts successfully retrieved the Hubble Space
    Telescope this morning, plucking the 12-ton observatory out of its
    orbit and berthed it on a special work platform at the rear of the
    Shuttle's cargo bay for the start of four spacewalks tonight to
    install new scientific instruments and upgraded engineering
    components.
    
    Mission Specialist Steve Hawley, who first deployed the telescope
    during the STS-31 mission in 1990, used Discovery's robot arm to
    grapple Hubble at 2:34 A.M. Central time as the Shuttle and the
    telescope flew off the West coast of Mexico at an altitude of 370
    statute miles.
    
    "You should have seen the expression on Dr. Stevie's face," said
    Commander Ken Bowersox with the telescope firmly in the grasp of the
    robot arm.."It looked like he just shook hands with an old friend."
    
    The retrieval of the 43-foot long telescope culminated a textbook
    rendezvous executed by Bowersox, who manually guided Discovery to
    within 35 feet of Hubble, enabling Hawley to extend the robot arm for
    its capture of the astronomical observatory. Bowersox served as pilot
    on the first Hubble servicing mission in December 1993.
    
    Less than a half hour later, Hawley lowered Hubble onto the Flight
    Support System berthing platform in Discovery's cargo bay, where it
    was latched in placed for its servicing. A remote controlled umbilical
    was mated to Hubble to provide electrical power for the telescope
    until it is deployed again next week.
    
    Hawley then maneuvered the robot arm slowly around the telescope to
    provide close up views of Hubble for payload controllers at the Space
    Telescope Operations Control Center at the Goddard Space Flight
    Center, who are in charge of Hubble science operations. They reported
    that the telescope appeared to be in excellent condition, almost seven
    years into its scientific tour of duty on orbit.
    
    Hubble's retrieval sets the stage for the first of four planned
    spacewalks tonight by Payload Commander Mark Lee and Mission
    Specialist Steve Smith, who will spend six hours in the cargo bay
    removing the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph and replacing it
    with the new Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph and swapping out the
    Faint Object Spectrograph with the more sophisticated Near Infrared
    Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer, which will offer Hubble its
    first infrared view of the universe.
    
    The spacewalk is timelined to begin around 10:20 P.M. Central time
    tonight, but could begin up to 45 minutes earlier if work runs ahead
    of schedule.
    
    The astronauts will begin an eight-hour sleep period at 9:25 this
    morning and will be awakened at 5:25 this afternoon to begin spacewalk
    preparations.
    
    Discovery and the Hubble Space Telescope are orbiting at an altitude
    of 370 statute miles with all of the Shuttle's systems operating in
    excellent shape.
    
    

    STS-82 Report # 06 
     Thursday, February 13, 1997, 6 P.M. CST 
     
     Two of Discovery's astronauts are getting ready to venture into the
    payload bay this evening to perform the first of four spacewalks
    designed to service and upgrade the scientific capabilities of the
    Hubble Space Telescope.
    
      Beginning between 9:30 and 10:30 p.m., STS-82 Payload Commander Mark
    Lee and Mission Specialist Steve Smith will spend six hours removing
    the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph, replacing it with the new
    Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, and swapping out the Faint
    Object Spectrograph with the more sophisticated Near Infrared Camera
    and Multi-Object Spectrometer.
    
      The procedure for both change-outs calls for Smith, who will be
    riding the end of the robot arm, to individually extract the old
    instruments and temporarily stow them on the side of the payload
    bay. He will then extract each new instrument from its carrier for
    insertion into the place vacated by the old instrument. Throughout the
    procedure, Lee, recognizable by the red stripes on the arms and legs
    of his spacesuit, will assist while tethered to the shuttle. Each
    changeout is scheduled to take about two hours. The spacewalk is
    scheduled to begin around 10:20 P.M. CST, but could begin up to 45
    minutes earlier if preparations run ahead of schedule.
    
      The STIS is a two-dimensional imaging spectrograph that spans
    ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared wavelengths. The detailed
    information received from the instrument will give scientists
    information about the composition and other physical properties of
    celestial objects. The NICMOS, which also observes light in the near
    infrared spectrum, will provide views of objects too distant for
    research by current HST instruments, and will give scientists a means
    to study objects created at the beginning of the universe.
    
      As Discovery and the Hubble Space Telescope orbited at an altitude
    of 370 statute miles, the crew began its fourth day of the mission at
    5:30 p.m. with the song."Two Princes" by the Spin Doctors. They awoke
    to find all of the Shuttle's systems still operating in excellent
    condition.

    Did anyone hear anything about one of the solar arrays getting bent?
    I thought I caught a mention of that on the news, but I wasn't paying
    full attention and I haven't seen or heard anything about it since.
    Seems like the replacements went ok for the spectrograph and
    infrared detector.
    
    PeterT
    

    
    Well, array got 'pushed' round by air being expelled from the airlock.
    It held up the walk by two hours, as they checked out what was
    happening. I understand that no damage was done, and they will be
    releasing the air slower in future.
    ( Just noticed a bit about it in Report # 07 - which will be the next
      reply )

    STS-82 Report # 07 
     Friday, February 14, 1997, 6 A.M. CST 
     
      Astronauts Mark Lee and Steve Smith worked throughout the night in
    the cargo bay of the Shuttle Discovery, conducting a spacewalk lasting
    six hours and 42 minutes to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope, which
    now contains new science instruments for an expanded view of the
    universe.
    
      The first spacewalk of the second servicing mission of the Telescope
    began at 10:34 p.m.  Central time Thursday night when Lee and Smith
    switched their spacesuits over to battery power. The spacewalk was
    slightly delayed to enable ground controllers to assess the unexpected
    movement of one of Hubble's solar arrays, which slewed from a
    horizontal to a vertical position as Discovery's airlock was
    depressurized. The motion was created by an apparent gust of air from
    the airlock, but caused no damage to the array which was repositioned
    horizontally.
    
      Once outside, Lee and Smith went right to work, opening the aft
    shroud doors on Hubble to remove the Goddard High Resolution
    Spectrograph and the Faint Object Spectrograph.  The telephone-booth
    sized instruments slid out of their compartments and were replaced by
    two brand new instruments, the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph
    and the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer.  STIS was
    installed in Hubble shortly before 1 a.m. Central time, followed
    almost two hours later by the NICMOS. Payload controllers send
    commands to check the health of the two instruments, which were
    declared alive and well and ready for calibration over the next
    several weeks. The aft shroud doors were finally closed as Lee and
    Smith stowed the old science gear in protective containers for the
    trip back to Earth. With their work successfully completed, Lee and
    Smith returned to Discovery's airlock at 5:17 this morning to wrap up
    the first of four planned excursions into the Shuttle's cargo bay.
    
      The two new instruments will increase Hubble's scientific
    capabilities.  The STIS will take light gathered by the telescope and
    separate it into spectral components so that the composition,
    temperature, motion, and other chemical and physical properties of
    astronomical objects can be measured.  NICMOS will allow Hubble to
    take infrared observations of the universe, giving astronomers the
    capability to view cosmic objects in non-visible light.
    
      Discovery's crew will begin an 8 hour sleep period at 9:25 a.m. CST
    this morning before being awakened at 5:25 p.m. Upcoming on Flight Day
    5 will be the second spacewalk of the mission by astronauts Greg
    Harbaugh and Joe Tanner who will replace several engineering
    components in Hubble.

    STS-82 Report # 08 
     Friday, February 14, 1997, 5:30 p.m. CST 
     
      Astronauts Greg Harbaugh and Joe Tanner will have their chance to
    venture into Discovery's payload bay this evening when they perform a
    spacewalk to replace several engineering components in the Hubble
    Space Telescope.
    
      Harbaugh and Tanner are scheduled to change out a malfunctioning
    Fine Guidance Sensor and an Engineering/Science Tape Recorder. The FGS
    is able to accurately point the telescope to its targets and is
    capable of measuring the motion of stars with great accuracy. The
    astronauts also will install an Optics Control Electronics Enhancement
    Kit which will further increase the capability of the FGS.
    
      For most of the spacewalk, Tanner, wearing a spacesuit with diagonal
    red markings around the legs, will be riding on the end of the robot
    arm. Harbaugh, wearing a suit with broken red lines around the legs
    and arms, will be able to move more freely around the payload bay. The
    six-hour spacewalk is scheduled to begin between 9:30-10:30 p.m. CST.
      
      Also today, engineers successfully performed the verification tests
    for the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph and the Near Infrared
    Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer.  STIS and NICMOS were installed
    early this morning by astronauts Mark Lee and Steve Smith.
    
      Discovery's crew received a Valentines Day greeting from their wives
    at 5:25 p.m. today in form of the wake-up song."Higher Love" by Steve
    Winwood. Discovery and the Hubble Space Telescope continue to orbit
    the Earth every 90 minutes at an altitude of 370 statute miles with
    all of the Shuttle's systems still operating in excellent condition.
    

    STS-82 Report # 09 
     Saturday, February 15, 1997, 7 a.m. CSTG 
    
    Early this morning, astronauts Greg Harbaugh and Joe Tanner completed a 
    7 hour, 27 minute spacewalk in the cargo bay of the Shuttle Discovery
    to replace and install several new engineering components in the Hubble
    Space Telescope.
    
    After being awakened late Friday afternoon, Harbaugh and Tanner
    completed the checkout of their spacesuits well ahead of schedul,
    allowing them to start the second spacewalk of the flight at 9:25 p.m.
    Central time, almost one hour ahead of schedule.
    
    Harbaugh and Tanner went right to work, replacing a degraded Fine
    Guidance Sensor and a failed Engineering and Science Tape Recorder with
    new spares. Payload controllers verified that the new Fine Guidance
    Sensor and the new tape recorder were healthy and ready to support the
    telescope's scientific efforts.  The astronauts also installed a new
    unit known as the Optical Control Electronics Enhancement Kit, which
    will further increase the capability of the new Fine Guidance Sensor.
    
    During the spacewalk, the astronauts and flight controllers took note
    of cracking and wear incurred by thermal insulation which protects
    several areas of the telescope.  The part of the telescope which is in
    the direction of travel and always exposed to the sun has experienced
    slight cracks and delamination during almost seven years of time on
    orbit.  Flight controllers and Hubble project managers are evaluating
    whether some repair work might be performed to certain portions of the
    telescope's insulation during the final spacewalks of the flight.
    
    As Harbaugh and Tanner neared the end of their work in the cargo bay,
    Discovery's small maneuvering jets were fired for about 20 minutes to
    gently raise Hubble's altitude by about 1.8 nautical miles.  The
    reboost effort by Commander Ken Bowersox and Pilot Scott Horowitz will
    be performed again near the end of the final two spacewalks and should
    raise Hubble's altitude by a total of about five nautical miles.
    Harbaugh and Tanner returned to Discovery's airlock at 4:52 A.M., with
    more than 14 hours of spacewalk servicing time having been logged
    during the first two excursions in the Shttle's cargo bay.
    
    The astronauts will begin an eight-hour sleep period at 9:25 this
    morning and will be awakened at 5:25 this afternoon for the third
    spacewalk by Mark Lee and Steve Smith. They will replace an ailing Data
    Interface Unit, swap out another science and engineering tape recorder
    for a new solid state recorder and will replace a faulty Reaction Wheel
    Assembly for a new unit to help steer the telescope to its targets. 
    
    Discovery and the Hubble Space Telescope continue to orbit the Earth
    every 90 minutes at an altitude of  approximately 370 statute miles
    with all of the Shuttle's systems still operating in excellent
    condition.
    
    The next STS-82 status report will be issued at 5 P.M. Central time.
    
    

    STS-82 Report # 10 
     Saturday, February 15, 1997, 5 p.m. CST 
     
     With two spacewalks complete, the STS-82 crew has met the minimum
    success criteria for the second Hubble Space Telescope servicing
    mission, but still has plenty of work left to do.
    
      Tonight, astronauts Mark Lee and Steve Smith will leave the crew
    cabin for their second spacewalk of the flight. Lee and Smith are
    scheduled to install a new Data Interface Unit in HST and swap out a
    science and engineering tape recorder with a new solid state
    recorder. Unlike the older reel-to-reel recorder, the new digital
    recorder has no reels, no tape or moving parts to wear out and
    unlimited lifetime. Data is digitally stored in computer-like memory
    chips until HST's operators at the Goddard Space Flight Center play it
    back. Lee and Smith also will replace a Reaction Wheel Assembly that
    failed late last year with a new unit to help steer the telescope to
    its targets.
    
      The Hubble Space Telescope was designed for on-orbit servicing with
    three maintenance scenarios in mind. They are incorporating
    technological advances into the science instruments as was done with
    the installation of the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph and the
    Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer, replacing items
    such as the tape recorders and reaction wheels which normally degrade
    over time; and correcting random equipment failures or malfunctions.
    
      If there is time during the spacewalk, Lee and Smith may perform
    some simple operations to assist engineers in planning for the
    possibility of performing some repairs to the aging thermal covering
    of the telescope. Controllers and astronauts have noticed areas on the
    telescope where the insulation is peeling. The tasks include bringing
    materials that could be used for the repair back into the crew cabin,
    assessing how brittle the insulation is and testing how well Kapton
    tape adheres to the insulation.
    
      The spacewalk is officially scheduled to begin at 10:20 p.m., but
    for the first two EVAs, crew members completed their preparations
    early so that they were ready to begin between 9 and 9:30 p.m.
    
      Also during the sixth day of the mission, Commander Ken Bowersox and
    Pilot Scott Horowitz will fire the small steering jets in the next
    phase of the effort to reboost the telescope. The first reboost burn
    raised Hubble's altitude by about 1.8 nautical miles, and a second
    unplanned burn, which was required to move Discovery a safe distance
    from some orbital debris, raised the orbit another half mile. Overall,
    flight controllers plan to raise HST's orbit about 7 statute miles.
    
    
    

    STS-82 Report # 11 
    Sunday, February 16, 1997, 8:30 A.M. CST 
     
      Mission managers decided this morning to add a fifth spacewalk to
    Discovery's flight to refurbish the Hubble Space Telescope to allow
    flight controllers and the astronauts time to repair tattered thermal
    insulation on the12-ton observatory. The decision came after
    astronauts Mark Lee and Steve Smith completed a 7 hour 11 minute
    spacewalk to replace various components on the telescope.
    
      The revised plan calls for Greg Harbaugh and Joe Tanner to conduct
    the
    fourth spacewalk of the flight tonight to replace a Solar Array Drive
    Electronics package and to replace covers on Hubble's magnetometers
    near the top of the telescope. They will also repair ripped thermal
    insulation on the light shield of Hubble below the areas where the
    magnetometers are located. On Monday night, Lee and Smith will venture
    into Discovery's cargo bay again to repair additional thermal
    insulation which has degraded on three key equipment bays near the
    middle of the telescope.
    
      Hubble's redeployment will be shifted one day from Tuesday to
    Wednesday with Discovery's landing at the Kennedy Space Center still
    planned for early Friday morning before dawn.
    
      The third spacewalk began at 8:53 p.m. Central time Saturday
    evening. Lee and Smith removed and replaced a Data Interface Unit
    which provides command and data interfaces between Hubble's data
    management system and other subsystems.  They also replaced an old
    reel-to-reel style Engineering and Science Tape Recorder with a new
    digital Solid State Recorder (SSR) that will allow simultaneous
    recording and playback of data
    
      The final task for Lee and Smith was the changeout of one of four
    Reaction Wheel Assembly units that use spin momentum to move the
    telescope toward a target and maintain it in a stable position. All of
    the new components are reported to be in excellent condition.
    
      Discovery's small maneuvering jets were then fired for about 20
    minutes to gently raise Hubble's altitude. The reboost maneuver by
    Commander Ken Bowersox and Pilot Scott Horowitz was the third in the
    past two days. Lee and Smith returned to Discovery's airlock at 4:04
    A.M., with 21 hours 20 minutes of spacewalk servicing time having been
    logged during the first three excursions in the Shuttle's cargo bay.
    
      The astronauts will begin an eight hour sleep period at 9:25 a.m.
    this
    morning and will receive a wake up call at 5:25 p.m. to begin the
    seventh day of the mission.
    
    

    STS-82 Report # 12 
    Sunday, February 16, 1997, 5 P.M. CST 
     
      The STS-82 astronauts will be adding some insulation repair work to
    their plans for tonight and tomorrow following a decision earlier
    today to conduct a fifth spacewalk during the Hubble Space Telescope
    servicing mission.
    
      Since HST has been in the Discovery's payload bay, several
    separations in the external insulation on the observatory have been
    noted. HST managers are concerned that the separated areas could trap
    light and cause localized heating, damaging Hubble's sensitive
    systems. Consequently, mission managers decided to add a fifth
    spacewalk Monday night to give astronauts time to repair the
    insulation.
    
      Before the repair work begins tonight, astronauts Greg Harbaugh and
    Joe Tanner will complete the scheduled work on the telescope.
    Harbaugh and Tanner will first replace a Solar Array Drive Electronics
    package. Then the HST flight control team will command the telescope
    to redeploy the booms carrying its high gain antennas. The telescope
    will then be turned and tilted slightly to give the spacewalkers
    access to the top portions of the telescope where Harbaugh and Tanner
    will replace covers over several magnetometers. While at the top of
    the telescope, they also will place patches made of insulation
    material over the tears in the telescope's light shield. The entire
    spacewalk is expected to take about six hours and will begin between 9
    and 10 p.m. Central time tonight.
    
      On Monday night, astronauts Mark Lee and Steve Smith will go into
    Discovery's payload bay again to repair thermal insulation which has
    degraded on three key equipment bays near the middle of the telescope.
    
      Because of the additional spacewalk, the final firing of the
    steering jets to raise Hubble's altitude has been moved from the end
    of tonight's EVA to the end of tomorrow's EVA, and Hubble's
    redeployment has been shifted one day from Tuesday to
    Wednesday. Discovery's landing at the Kennedy Space Center still
    remains on track for early Friday morning.
    
    

    STS-82 Report # 13 
    Monday, February 17, 1997, 5:30 a.m. CST 
     
      Following the completion of a 6 hour, 34 minute spacewalk by
    astronauts Greg Harbaugh and Joe Tanner early this morning, the
    replacement and installation of all the science and engineering
    components for the Hubble Space Telescope have been completed.
    
      Harbaugh and Tanner began their second spacewalk and the fourth of
    the mission by emerging from Discovery's airlock at 9:45 p.m. Central
    time Sunday night.  Their first task was the replacement of a Solar
    Array Drive Electronics package which is used to control the
    positioning of Hubble's solar arrays.  Harbaugh and Tanner next
    ventured to the top of the telescope where they replaced covers over
    Hubble's magnetometers, which are used to sense the telescope's
    position in relation to the Earth through data acquired from the
    Earth's magnetic field.  The spacewalking astronauts then placed
    thermal blankets of multi-layer material over two areas of degraded
    insulation around the light shield portion of the telescope just below
    the top of the astronomical observatory. The astronauts had trained
    for the repair work before the flight in the event such repairs would
    be needed.
    
      While Harbaugh and Tanner were finishing up their work in the
    payload bay, Pilot Scott Horowitz and Payload Commander Mark Lee were
    busy on Discovery's middeck fabricating additional thermal insulation
    blankets that will be installed on the telescope during a fifth
    spacewalk planned for late tonight.  The additional spacewalk by Lee
    and spacewalking teammate Steve Smith was incorporated into the
    mission timeline to shore up weathered insulation covering three
    equipment bays along the top of the Support Systems Module section of
    Hubble housing key data processing, electronics and scientific
    instrument telemetry packages. The fifth spacewalk is expected to last
    around four hours.
    
      Harbaugh and Tanner returned to Discovery's airlock at 4:19
    a.m. this morning, bringing the total spacewalking time for the
    mission to 27 hours and 54 minutes over the past four days.
    
      Because of the additional spacewalk, the final firing of the
    steering jets to reboost Hubble to its deployment altitude will occur
    at the end of the final spacewalk tomorrow morning with the deployment
    of Hubble now set for 12:41 A.M. Central time Wednesday
    morning. Discovery's landing at the Kennedy Space Center is scheduled
    for the predawn hours Friday morning.
    
      The crew will begin an eight-hour sleep period at 9:25 a.m. this
    morning and will be awakened at 5:25 p.m. to begin preparations for
    the final spacewalk of the second Hubble Space Telescope servicing
    mission.
    
    

    STS-82 Report # 14 
     Monday, February 17, 1997, 5:30 p.m. CST 
     
      With all scheduled telescope work completed, two astronauts will go
    into the payload bay of Discovery one more time tonight to install
    extra protection over some aging insulation on the Hubble Space
    Telescope.
    
      Mission specialists Mark Lee and Steve Smith are expected to spend
    about four hours working to add several thermal insulation blankets to
    the three areas along the top of the Support Systems Module section of
    Hubble housing key data processing, electronics and scientific
    instrument telemetry packages. Specifically, the work will be done on
    bay 7, which holds electronics and mechanisms for the solar arrays;
    bay 8, which contains pointing electronics and a Retrieval Mode Gyro
    Assembly; and bay 10, which houses the Science Instrument Control and
    Data Handling Subsystems.
    
      Mission managers added the fifth space walk to the flight plan on
    Saturday because of Hubble managers' concerns about several
    separations in the external insulation on the observatory. Hubble
    managers were concerned that the separated areas could trap light and
    cause localized heating, damaging Hubble's sensitive systems.
    
      Because of the additional extravehicular activity, the final firing
    of the steering jets to reboost Hubble to its deployment altitude (333
    by 320 nautical miles) will occur at the end of tonight's
    spacewalk. Deployment of Hubble is now set for 12:41 a.m. CST
    Wednesday morning.
    
      All the instruments installed by the STS-82 crew during the first
    four spacewalks have been checked by the HST controllers and all
    verification tests look good. The final check outs will take place
    once Hubble is again flying on its own.
    
    
    

    STS-82 Report # 15 
    Tuesday, February 18, 1997, 6:30 a.m. CST 
     
    Early this morning, astronauts Mark Lee and Steve Smith completed a 5
    hour, 17 minute spacewalk - the fifth spacewalk conducted over the
    past five days - to complete the servicing and refurbishment of the
    Hubble Space Telescope.
    
    During their final excursion in Discovery's cargo bay, Lee and Smith
    attached several thermal insulation blankets to three equipment
    compartments at the top of the Support Systems Module section of
    Hubble which contain key data processing, electronics and scientific
    instrument telemetry packages.  Following the completion of that work,
    Lee and Smith briefly returned to the airlock while flight controllers
    evaluated a possible glitch with one of four Reaction Wheel Assembly
    units in Hubble used to maneuver the telescope for its scientific
    observations. After determining that further analysis of the Reaction
    Wheel Assembly would be required, the astronauts were directed to
    close out their spacewalk and reentered the airlock for the final time
    at 2:32 A.M. Central time. A spare Reaction Wheel Assembly was
    available aboard Discovery for a swapout during an additional
    spacewalk had it been necessary, but a few hours later, after further
    analysis, payload controllers reported that the Reaction Wheel
    Assembly was in excellent shape and operating at the proper speed.
    
    With all of the servicing tasks complete, Commander Ken Bowersox and
    Pilot Scott Horowitz fired small maneuvering jets on Discovery to
    complete the reboost of the Hubble Space Telescope, raising its orbit
    an additional three nautical miles. Hubble will be redeployed early
    tomorrow morning at 12:41 A.M. Central time at an altitude of about
    335 by 321 nautical miles, an increase of about 8 nautical miles from
    the point at which it was retrieved last week.
    
    In all, a total of 33 hours and 11 minutes were logged during the five
    spacewalks to service and refurbish Hubble, about two hours shy of the
    time recorded during the five spacewalks for the first servicing
    mission more than three years ago.
    
    The crew will begin an extended nine hour sleep period at 8:25
    a.m. this morning.  After they are awakened at 5:25 p.m. this
    afternoon, the astronauts will begin preparations for the deployment
    of the Hubble Space Telescope by robot arm operator Steve Hawley, who
    will release the astronomical observatory for the start of the
    calibration of its newly installed instruments and the resumption of
    scientific operations in a few weeks.
    
    

    STS-82 Report # 16 
    Tuesday, February 18, 1997 6:30 p.m. CST 
     
      With an array of new instruments installed, the Hubble Space
    Telescope is ready to continue its 15-year mission to look deeply into
    the universe, once it is released from Space Shuttle Discovery later
    tonight.
    
      Astronaut Steve Hawley will use the robot arm to once again grapple
    the telescope and lift it from its work platform. While it is still on
    the robot arm, controllers at the Goddard Space Flight Center will
    send commands to open the large aperture door at the end of the
    telescope. Hawley then will send the telescope back to work, releasing
    it at about 12:41 a.m. CST in a 335 by 321 nautical mile orbit. After
    the telescope is released, Commander Ken Bowersox will move Discovery
    slowly away from the observatory, being careful not to disturb the
    delicate solar arrays.
    
      Hubble goes back to work with two new science instruments, updated
    guidance systems, a state of the art recorder and several new patches
    of thermal insulation. In all, 33 hours and 11 minutes were logged
    during the five spacewalks to service and refurbish
    Hubble. Calibration of the newly installed instruments and the
    resumption of scientific operations will begin over the next few
    weeks.
    
      The crew began its ninth day of the mission to the wake-up
    music,."That Thing You Do," by the Wonders. Discovery's systems are
    still operating in excellent condition as it orbits the Earth every 90
    minutes.

    STS-82 Report # 17 
    Wednesday, February 19, 1997, 6:00 a.m. CST  
     
      Discovery's astronauts bid farewell to the Hubble Space Telescope
    early this morning as they placed the orbiting observatory back into
    its own orbit to continue its investigation of the far reaches of the
    universe.
    
      Mission Specialist Steve Hawley, who first deployed Hubble during the
    STS-31 mission on April 25th, 1990, again used the Shuttle's robot arm
    to gently release the telescope at 12:41 a.m. Central time.  At the
    time of deployment, the Shuttle was at an altitude of 334 nautical
    miles over the southwest coast of Africa.  Hubble is now operating at
    the highest altitude it has ever flown, a 335 by 321 nautical mile
    orbit.
    
      Within minutes after Hubble was set free, Commander Ken Bowersox and
    Pilot Scott Horowitz fired jet thrusters to begin Discovery's
    seperation from the telescope. Shortly after deployment, payload
    controllers reported that the telescope had resumed standard
    operations and was processing commands from the ground through the
    Tracking Data Relay Satellite system.  Over the next several weeks,
    calibrations of the newly installed instruments will be made as Hubble
    resumes its scientific efforts, equipped with two new science
    instruments, updated guidance systems and a state of the art data
    recorder. The first images and data from the newly installed
    scientific components, the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph and
    the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer, may be
    acquired from Hubble in about eight to ten weeks.
    
      A few hours after Hubble's deployment, the crew received a
    congratulatory phone call from NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin.  The
    four spacewalking crewmembers also answered questions from several
    news networks regarding their work over the past week to upgrade the
    telescope.
    
    Discovery's crew will begin an nine hour sleep period at 8:25 this
    morning and will be awakened at 5:25 this afternoon to begin routine
    prelanding checks of Discovery's flight control systems and reaction
    control system jets. Discovery is scheduled to return to the Kennedy
    Space Center early Friday morning, with landing scheduled at 12:48
    a.m. Central time.

    Is that correct, a 12:48am CST (1:48am est) landing??
    
    Is this the first night landing??  I don't recall others?   Why are
    they doing this??  Do the orbital mechanics make night landings the
    only option??   Will this provide a more interesting viewing of the
    re-entry?
    
    Night landings are certainly routine in aviation, but I suspect it
    adds to the complexity of all the SaR resources that are on call
    during shuttle landings.
    
    Cheers,
    jeff
    

I don't think it is the first.   With the relatively short flights that
the shuttle makes, landings at KSC are going to be within a few hours
of the launch time, so any night launch you would expect also to have a
night (or twilight or dawn) landing.

I think STS-81 landed in the very early morning (dark?) last month, for
example.

Burns

    A quick check through the last three shuttle landings show they seem
    to get up early at KSC :-).
    
    sts-81 8.23 am - KSC
    sts-80 5.49 am central time - KSC
    sts-79 7.13 am cdt - KSC
    
    Don't know about sunrise times there though, so don't know how much in the
    dark they are.
    
    

    STS-82 Report # 18 
    Wednesday, February 19, 1997 6 p.m. CST 
     
      The STS-82 astronauts begin packing up their tools and preparing for
    the return trip home, having completed all their work with the Hubble
    Space Telescope and releasing it back into orbit.
    
      Commander Ken Bowersox and his crew will fill the 10th day of their
    mission with activities that will prepare themselves and Discovery for
    the return home. Bowersox and pilot Scott Horowitz will begin the day
    by verifying the orbiter's aerodynamic surfaces, the elevons, speed
    brake and rudder. The traditional test of the steering jets will not
    be required since 31 of the 38 jets have been fired during the
    rendezvous and redeployment operations. The remaining jets will either
    be fired during normal operations tonight or will be tested during
    deorbit preparations. Crew members also will stow their cabin
    equipment including the tools used during the mission's five
    spacewalks.
    
      The astronauts will participate in a news conference with media
    representatives in Houston and Florida at 4:06 a.m. Central time.
    
      At crew wake up at 5:25 p.m. Weduesday, Discovery was about 55 miles
    in front of the Hubble Space Telescope, opening the distance from the
    observatory by five miles every orbit. All systems on the telescope
    are performing well as controllers transition to their normal mode of
    operations.
    
      System on Discovery also are performing well and are ready to
    support landing at the Kennedy Space Center early Friday morning at
    12:48 a.m. Central time.
    
    

    STS-82 Report # 19 
    Thursday, February 20, 1997, 6:30 a.m. CST 
     
    With Discovery's flight control systems checked out and ready to
    support the Shuttle's return to Earth, the seven astronauts stowed
    their cabin and prepared for tomorrow's planned landing at the Kennedy
    Space Center.  Landing is scheduled for 12:50 a.m. Central time with a
    backup opportunity an hour and a half later at 2:32 a.m.  The weather
    forecast reflects a slight chance of rain over the water at the time
    of landing at the Florida spaceport.
    
    Before wrapping up what is expected to be their final day in orbit,
    the astronauts held a press conference to discuss the flight, which
    saw a record-tying five spacewalks conducted to service the Hubble
    Space Telescope for the second time.
    
    Commander Ken Bowersox and Pilot Scott Horowitz tested the orbiter's
    aerodynamic surfaces that will be used once Discovery reenters the
    Earth's atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean. The traditional hot-fire
    test of Discovery's steering jets was not required since 31 of the 38
    jets were fired during the time the Hubble Space Telescope was housed
    in the Shuttle's cargo bay. The remaining jets will either be fired
    during normal operations tonight or will be tested during deorbit
    preparations.
    
    The crew is scheduled to go to bed at 8:25 this morning and wake up at
    4:25 this afternoon.  If all goes as planned, Discovery's payload bay
    doors will be closed at about 9 p.m. with a final go-no decision for
    the first KSC landing opportunity expected at about 11:15 p.m. There
    are two landing opportunities at both KSC and the backup landing site
    at Edwards Air Force Base, California.
    
    

    STS-82 Report # 20 
    Thursday, February 20, 1997 6 p.m. CST 
     
      With a successful mission behind them, the STS-82 crew is getting set
    to return home to the Kennedy Space Center in the early morning hours
    Friday.  Landing is planned for 12:50 a.m. CST with backup
    opportunities on succeeding orbits.
    
      The crew began its final day in space by sending morning greetings
    to the Mission Control team in the form of the song."Sloop John B." by
    the Beach Boys. The control team in return told the crew it was time
    to "get your motor running" with the song "Born To Be
    Wild" by Steppenwolf.
    
      Once the crew has completed its post-sleep activities, astronauts
    will begin preparations for tonight's deorbit and landing
    opportunities. The first deorbit opportunity is on orbit 148 with an
    engine firing at 11:38 p.m. CST followed by landing at 12:50
    a.m. Landing on the second opportunity would occur at 2:32 a.m. There
    are landing opportunities at the backup landing site at Edwards Air
    Force Base, California, at 2:23 and 4:04 a.m. Central time.
    
      According to forecasters, the weather conditions in Florida look
    promising, but there is a slight chance off-shore showers.
    
      If all goes as planned, Discovery's payload bay doors will be closed
    at about 9 p.m. with a final go-no go decision for the first KSC
    landing opportunity expected at about 11:15 p.m..
    
      Discovery is currently orbiting at an altitude of 365 statute miles
    with all systems in excellent condit

    
    "Discovery streaked across the U.S. skies this
     morning on its way to a perfect landing at the
     Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Touchdown
     time was 2:32 a.m. CST (08:32 GMT)."

    
    RE: Night landings.
    
    Found this little nugget on CNN news :-
    
    "Only nine of 82 space shuttle flights have ended in darkness.
     At astronauts' request, NASA recently installed 52 halogen lights
     down the middle of the 15,000-foot runway to make nighttime
     landings safer."

    Saw the landing on our local cable educational access channel.
    The landing also included a live hand-held camera shot of the
    entry over Houston. NASA had someone go upstairs with a hand
    held TV camera and shoot the landing passage as it swooped
    overhead with its plasma trail. I had never seen that much
    sustained video footage of a shuttle plasma trail, so I was quite
    impressed. The plasma trail also seemed to pulsate or break up as it
    started out over the gulf after passing almost overhead in Houston.
    Whoever did the tv shoot of that should get a tripod next time,
    so that the footage would be a little more stable though.
    The landing (with the additional 52 halogen lights down the middle
    of the runway also apparently helped according to Bowersox in the
    post landing press conference. Sox said that he landed a little to 
    the right of center, but as he was rolling down, he found it quite
    easy to correct and get back to the center. He said that without
    the center lights, it's much more difficult to guage how much
    correction to make by simply looking at the side runway lights.
    
    On other night landings, I believe that STS-61 (first HST service
    mission) was a night landing. I can't recall the others.
    
    Bob

    re .*
    
    Overall it seemed like a good mission for NASA with the benefits of the
    original modular Hubble design and the ability of the shuttle to
    service it evident, particularly the ad hoc repair to the insulation.

     ( Just for completeness! )
    
    STS-82 Report # 21 
    Friday, February 21, 1997, 3 a.m. CST 
     
    STS-82 STATUS REPORT # 21
    MISSION CONTROL CENTER
    
    Friday, February 21, 1997
    3 A.M. Central Time
    
      Commander Ken Bowersox and Pilot Scott Horowitz guided the Shuttle
    Discovery to a night landing at the Kennedy Space Center in the
    predawn darkness this morning, setting the orbiter down at 2:32
    a.m. Central time to wrap up a 4.1 million mile mission to refurbish
    the Hubble Space Telescope.  It was the ninth night landing in Shuttle
    program history, the fourth at the Florida spaceport.
    
      After the first landing opportunity of the day at the Kennedy Space
    Center was waved off because of low clouds over the Shuttle Landing
    Facility, the weather cleared and the green light was given to permit
    the seven astronauts to return home.  The landing was the sixth
    straight at the Kennedy Space Center and the 13th in the last 14
    flights.
    
      Discovery swooped out of the nighttime darkness and landed at the
    3-mile long landing strip at KSC, which had additional illumination
    available through the recent installation of 52 halogen lights
    positioned every 200 feet down the centerline of the runway.
    
      Left in orbit was the 12-ton Hubble Space Telescope, equipped with
    two
    new scientific instruments and other upgraded engineering hardware for
    enhanced performance until another crew of astronauts returns to the
    observatory in late 1999 for its third servicing.  Hubble is expected
    to resume scientific observations in several weeks after its new
    equipment is calibrated.