Here are some absolutely stunning images in space from the NASA space shuttle Atlantis as its crew continue with their space walks to upgrade and repair the the nearly 20 year old iconic Hubble Space Telescope.
[Images courtesy of NASA]
A near perfect launch of the Atlantis Space Shuttle was marred by a piece of debris that caused a 21 inch gouge into several of the shuttle’s protective tiles. After examining the gash for over 3 hours from every possible angle it has been determined that the damaged tiles shouldn’t pose any problems to the shuttle or its crew during re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. See pic below.
NASA Shuttle Atlantis makes a pass along the equator of the heart of our solar system — The Sun.
A view of the Hubble Space Telescope from a window in Atlantis as the Space Shuttle approaches the famed telescope.
The Hubble Space Telescope captured and locked-down inside the Atlantis cargo bay where astronauts prepare to upgrade and repair it. The last time NASA visited the famed telescope was 7 years ago.
Astronaut Andrew Feustel works on the Hubble with parts brought up on the Atlantis Space Shuttle.
Astronauts Andrew Feustel and John Grunsfeld work together on upgrading Hubble.
A mesmorizing view of the Red Sea and Sinai Pennisula from aboard the Atlantis Space Shuttle as it orbits 350 statute miles above the Earth during the Hubble Telescope upgrade and repair.
Methinks you meant “statute miles.”
Me thinks you’re correct Larry. 😉
Congratulations to the Shuttle Crew for their successful repair of the Hubble. Now we’ll be able to peer back to the point where galaxies are just getting themselves organized for another five years or so. Service Mission 4 is a bittersweet triumph however since it is the last time the shuttle and humans will ever visit the world’s favorite telescope. Considering the durability of the Mars rovers, I wonder just how long the revitalized Hubble will last?