May 20, 2009 -- The astronauts of space shuttle Atlantis said Wednesday they were amazed at how successful their grueling mission to revamp the aging Hubble Space Telescope had been, given the number of tough obstacles they had faced. Speaking to reporters from inside the space shuttle Atlantis, the smiling seven crew members spoke with pride of their mission to give the 19-year-old stargazer a new lease on life to peer back further into the origins of time. "I never imagined actually the flight would go as interestingly as it has," said mission commander Scott Altman. "It's amazing looking back at how hard things looked a couple of times, more difficult than I ever expected. But then to overcome and wind up with everything done in the way it was -- we were very successful." Related Content:
Over five daily spacewalks, the crew repaired and restored the Hubble in NASA's final mission to the observatory, giving it at least five more years -- if not 10 -- to continue to explore the mysteries of the cosmos. Altman's crew faced multiple obstacles as they overhauled the telescope, with most of the spacewalks running into overtime. They had to overcome stuck bolts, a power tool that lost battery power at a crucial point as well as spacesuit problems that included an ill-fitting boot and a damaged glove. John Grunsfeld, who led three of the spacewalks with astronaut Drew Feustel, said he could not help but think of the space observatory as a living entity. The two men could not resist giving the telescope a friendly farewell nudge when they finished the last outing, but the "bump" knocked a protective cover off an observatory antenna, which they then had to scramble to replace. "I was a little retrospective, thinking about the amazing journey Hubble is about to undergo," said Grunsfeld, an astronomer turned astronaut who has logged three missions to Hubble over a decade, the most of any astronaut. Get More NewsSpiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates.Oldest Hebrew Writing Possibly FoundAncient inscriptions on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard could make history.Rare, Prehistoric-Age Reptile Found in N.Z.A tuatara has been spotted on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in 200 years.Iceman Has No Living RelativesOetzi, the 5,300 year-old frozen mummy, left no living genetic legacy.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.It's Official: People Are Warming the PolesHumans are conclusively to blame for polar warming, say scientists.Eight-Armed Animal Preceded DinosaursWhat may be one of Earth's first animals was no bigger than a coaster and had eight arms.Phoenicians Live on in People's GenesOne in 17 Mediterranean men may be descended from ancient Phoenicians.Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to Frog DeclineA pesticide is found to promote parasites among amphibians.Hubble Telescope Taking Photos AgainThe Hubble Space Telescope is once again snapping stunning photos of the universe.Andean Mummy Hairs Show Hallucinogen UseScientists find direct evidence of hallucinogenic drug use among ancient Andeans.Opals on Mars Reveal Planet's Long Wet PastOpals found on Mars suggest the planet has been wet for much longer. |
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