Fifth spacewalk energises Hubble
Shuttle Atlantis astronauts have completed the fifth and final spacewalk to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.
John Grunsfeld and Drew Feustel renewed the observatory's batteries which enable it to keep operating when its solar panels are in shadow.
They also replaced a fine-guidance sensor that helps keep the telescope's gaze precisely fixed on image targets.
In addition, the spacewalking pair fitted three thermal blankets protecting Hubble's electronics.
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
Named after the great US astronomer Edwin Hubble
Launched in 1990 into a 600km-high circular orbit
Equipped with a 2.4m primary mirror and five instruments
Length: 15.9m; diameter: 4.2m; Mass: 11,110kg
Monday's spacewalk lasted seven hours and two minutes.
The servicing mission has been a great success so far.
Difficult to budge bolts and problematic tools have slowed the spacewalkers on occasions but overall they have been delighted with their progress through the list of planned refurbishments.
"This is a really tremendous adventure that we've been on, a very challenging mission. Hubble isn't just a satellite - it's about humanity's quest for knowledge," said Grunsfeld.
"A tour de force of tools and human ingenuity. On this mission in particular, the only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.
"On this mission, we tried some things that some people said were impossible…. We've achieved that, and we wish Hubble the very best."
Hubble will be released from the orbiter's cargo bay on Tuesday, with the repairs and upgrades that the mission has accomplished promising at least five more years of observations.
Space shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to return to Earth on Friday.
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/8056186.stmPublished: 2009/05/18 23:24:36 GMT© BBC MMIX
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thermal adjective [before noun]
SPECIALIZED connected with heat:
thermal conductivity (= ability of a substance to carry heat)It was the Romans who first recognised the medicinal benefits of Hungary's thermal springs (= ones which produce hot water).

refurbish verb [T] FORMAL
to make a building look new and bright again:The developers refurbished the house inside and out.

refurbished adjective [before noun]

refurbishment noun [C or U]

tremendous adjective
very great in amount or level, or extremely good:
They were making the most tremendous amount of noise last night.She's been a tremendous (= very great) help to me over the last few months.You won? That's tremendous!

tremendously adverb
We all enjoyed ourselves tremendously.

quest noun [C] LITERARY
a long search for something that is difficult to find, or an attempt to achieve something difficult:Nothing will stop them in their quest for truth.She went to India on a spiritual quest.
[+ to infinitive] She does aerobics four times a week in her quest to achieve the perfect body.