May 10, 2007 — The astronauts who will service the Hubble Space Telescope were greeted enthusiastically Wednesday by astronomers who had faced the loss of the orbiting observatory when NASA canceled their mission.
The seven astronauts will be "doing as much as we can cram in" to the September 2008 servicing mission that will keep the Hubble alive, mission commander Scott Altman told a crowded auditorium at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which coordinates the use of the telescope.
"We will do our absolute best to leave the telescope in the most phenomenal condition that it can be when we let go of it with the robotic arm and set it loose on its next voyage," Altman said.
NASA scrubbed a servicing mission following the loss of the shuttle Columbia because of safety concerns. However, the mission was rescheduled in October following an outcry from scientists and the public.
Three of the astronauts on the mission have been on previous Hubble servicing missions, including John Grunsfeld, a self-described "Hubble Hugger."
"Thank all of you for hanging in there," Grunsfeld said, noting he was the recipient of the news when NASA scrubbed the servicing mission.
Grunsfeld said supporters were able to get some common sense back into the process "so we are able to train to make the telescope better even than it is now."
The institute staff were also shown videos of the seven training in a giant pool at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Mission specialist Michael Goodwin, one of the astronauts who will perform the repairs in space, said staying rested and focused during the five consecutive days of spacewalks will be the toughest challenge for him.
