Shuttle astronauts snag Hubble telescope!

Dantheman62 · 05-13-2009, 08:02 PM

In this image taken from NASA video, Hubble (rear) is brought into the shuttle as Atlantis captures the space telescope. Astronauts on the space shuttle Atlantis grabbed the high-flying Hubble Space Telescope Wednesday, after a successful rendezvous for an ambitious spacewalking overhaul of the lab.(AFP/NASA)

scanner · 05-13-2009, 08:22 PM

Hi Dan just a quicky , you may not know the answer, but when pictures from NASA in space theres never any stars or is it just me ?

Dantheman62 · 05-13-2009, 11:20 PM

You're right, I don't know the answer, LOL
My guess is it's because they're focused on the object, not the stars, so you don't see the stars because they're out of focus. hmmm I really don't know.

Luminari · 05-14-2009, 01:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scanner

Hi Dan just a quicky , you may not know the answer, but when pictures from NASA in space theres never any stars or is it just me ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dantheman62

You're right, I don't know the answer, LOL
My guess is it's because they're focused on the object, not the stars, so you don't see the stars because they're out of focus. hmmm I really don't know.

Yeah, just like if you went outside at night and took a pic with a normal camera of the starry sky it would come out all black.

You need the right lens, focus and exposure time.

There would be a significant 'glow' coming from the sunlight reflecting off the earth for the astronauts aswel which would affect things too.

Good job ATLANTIS crew! good luck and get home safe.

scanner · 05-14-2009, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luminari

Yeah, just like if you went outside at night and took a pic with a normal camera of the starry sky it would come out all black.

You need the right lens, focus and exposure time.

There would be a significant 'glow' coming from the sunlight reflecting off the earth for the astronauts aswel which would affect things too.

Good job ATLANTIS crew! good luck and get home safe.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dantheman62

You're right, I don't know the answer, LOL
My guess is it's because they're focused on the object, not the stars, so you don't see the stars because they're out of focus. hmmm I really don't know.

Quote:

Originally Posted by scanner

Hi Dan just a quicky , you may not know the answer, but when pictures from NASA in space theres never any stars or is it just me ?

I know I'll ask NASA see what they have to say

O and yes come home safely boys

cway · 05-15-2009, 02:20 AM

all the pictures shown here are on the sunny side. ???

Orion11 · 05-15-2009, 03:25 AM

lol

great pics Dan, thanks for showin em bro.
i love me some hubble. lol

glad its gone stick around a bit longer.

Dantheman62 · 05-15-2009, 03:41 AM

Thanks O, and the upgrades they're doing are not only going to make it last longer, but it's going to be so much better as far as quality and performance!
The new pictures should really blow us away!!

Orion11 · 05-15-2009, 03:59 AM

woootwooot!!!

that rocks!!

oh man, whens it gonna be done!?! lol

is it done yet?

is it done yet?

is it done yet?

is it done yet?

is it done yet?

still nothin? OMG this is takin ferever!!!! LOL

Dantheman62 · 05-15-2009, 04:06 AM

LOL, actually they replaced the old camera with a new one today, which will improve it so much!!!!
Prepare to be blown away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Muwahahahaha!!!!

Dantheman62 · 05-15-2009, 05:11 AM

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A pair of spacewalking astronauts overpowered a stubborn bolt and successfully installed a new piano-sized camera in the Hubble Space Telescope on Thursday, the first step to making the observatory better than ever.

"Let there be light," spacewalker John Grunsfeld said as ground controllers checked the power hookups.

Grunsfeld and Andrew Feustel also completed other major chores, replacing a science data-handling unit that broke last fall and hooking up a docking ring so a robotic craft can guide Hubble into the Pacific years from now.

The nearly 7 -hour repair job - all the more dangerous because of the high, debris-ridden orbit - got off to a slow and rocky start.

John Grunsfeld and Andrew Feustel had trouble removing the old camera from the telescope because a bolt was stuck. They fetched extra tools, but none seemed to work.

Finally, Mission Control urged the astronauts to use as much force as possible, even though there was a risk the bolt might break. If that had happened, the old camera would be stuck inside, leaving no room for its souped-up replacement.

"OK, here we go," Feustel said. "I think I've got it. It turned. It definitely turned." And then: "Woo-hoo, it's moving out!"

The extra effort paid off but put the astronauts a little behind schedule in their first spacewalk of shuttle Atlantis' mission. In all, five high-risk spacewalks are planned to fix Hubble's broken parts and plug in higher-tech science instruments.

Atlantis and its crew are traveling in an especially high orbit, 350 miles above Earth, that is littered with pieces of smashed satellites. A 4-inch piece of space junk passed within a couple miles of the shuttle Wednesday night, just hours after the shuttle grabbed Hubble. Even something that small could cause big damage.

For the first time, another shuttle is on standby in case it needs to rush to the rescue.

Once the sticky bolt was freed, Feustel pulled out the old camera, the size of a baby grand piano.

"This has been in there for 16 years, Drew," said Grunsfeld, "and it didn't want to come out."

The spacewalkers followed up with the installation of the replacement camera. From inside Atlantis, spacewalk overseer Michael Massimino congratulated Grunsfeld and Feustel for "adjusting to the curve ball that was thrown at you."

The newly inserted wide-field and planetary camera - worth $132 million - will allow astronomers to peer deeper into the universe, to within 500 million to 600 million years of creation.

Dantheman62 · 05-15-2009, 05:14 AM

Did you catch that!.........A wide field and planetary camera worth $132 million!!!!
will allow astronomers to peer deeper into the universe, to within 500 million to 600 million years of creation.

Luminari · 05-15-2009, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dantheman62

Did you catch that!.........A wide field and planetary camera worth $132 million!!!!
will allow astronomers to peer deeper into the universe, to within 500 million to 600 million years of creation.

WOOO HOOOOO!

Can't wait till the sweet sweet space love starts flowing in.

Going to be the best photos in the history of our civilisation.

Lorien · 05-15-2009, 01:10 PM

As much as I love space pictures, it's a shame we didn't use all this time and energy on researching technologies that would allow us to just go out there and look at it ourselves

Dantheman62 · 05-15-2009, 05:20 PM

In this image released by NASA, the space shuttle Atlantis(C top) and the Hubble Space Telescope (C bottom) are seen in silhouette, side by side in this solar transit image made from Florida.

This image taken from NASA video show spacewalking astronauts from the shuttle Atlantis working on the Hubble telescope. US astronauts Friday resumed their ambitious overhaul of the Hubble telescope, set to replace failing gyroscopes and aging batteries in the pointing and power systems.

05-13-2009, 08:02 PM	#1
Dantheman62 Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: So. Cal. U.S. Posts: 4,205	Shuttle astronauts snag Hubble telescope! In this image taken from NASA video, Hubble (rear) is brought into the shuttle as Atlantis captures the space telescope. Astronauts on the space shuttle Atlantis grabbed the high-flying Hubble Space Telescope Wednesday, after a successful rendezvous for an ambitious spacewalking overhaul of the lab.(AFP/NASA)

05-13-2009, 08:22 PM	#2
scanner Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: sea level England ,I must move Posts: 195	Re: Shuttle astronauts snag Hubble telescope! Hi Dan just a quicky , you may not know the answer, but when pictures from NASA in space theres never any stars or is it just me ?

05-13-2009, 11:20 PM	#3
Dantheman62 Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: So. Cal. U.S. Posts: 4,205	Re: Shuttle astronauts snag Hubble telescope! You're right, I don't know the answer, LOL My guess is it's because they're focused on the object, not the stars, so you don't see the stars because they're out of focus. hmmm I really don't know.

05-15-2009, 02:20 AM	#6
cway Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Milky Way Posts: 267	Re: Shuttle astronauts snag Hubble telescope! all the pictures shown here are on the sunny side. ???

05-15-2009, 03:25 AM	#7
Orion11 Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,098	Re: Shuttle astronauts snag Hubble telescope! lol great pics Dan, thanks for showin em bro. i love me some hubble. lol glad its gone stick around a bit longer.

05-15-2009, 03:41 AM	#8
Dantheman62 Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: So. Cal. U.S. Posts: 4,205	Re: Shuttle astronauts snag Hubble telescope! Thanks O, and the upgrades they're doing are not only going to make it last longer, but it's going to be so much better as far as quality and performance! The new pictures should really blow us away!!

05-15-2009, 03:59 AM	#9
Orion11 Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,098	Re: Shuttle astronauts snag Hubble telescope! woootwooot!!! that rocks!! oh man, whens it gonna be done!?! lol is it done yet? is it done yet? is it done yet? is it done yet? is it done yet? still nothin? OMG this is takin ferever!!!! LOL

05-15-2009, 04:06 AM	#10
Dantheman62 Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: So. Cal. U.S. Posts: 4,205	Re: Shuttle astronauts snag Hubble telescope! LOL, actually they replaced the old camera with a new one today, which will improve it so much!!!! Prepare to be blown away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Muwahahahaha!!!!

05-15-2009, 05:11 AM	#11
Dantheman62 Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: So. Cal. U.S. Posts: 4,205	Re: Shuttle astronauts snag Hubble telescope! CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A pair of spacewalking astronauts overpowered a stubborn bolt and successfully installed a new piano-sized camera in the Hubble Space Telescope on Thursday, the first step to making the observatory better than ever. "Let there be light," spacewalker John Grunsfeld said as ground controllers checked the power hookups. Grunsfeld and Andrew Feustel also completed other major chores, replacing a science data-handling unit that broke last fall and hooking up a docking ring so a robotic craft can guide Hubble into the Pacific years from now. The nearly 7 -hour repair job - all the more dangerous because of the high, debris-ridden orbit - got off to a slow and rocky start. John Grunsfeld and Andrew Feustel had trouble removing the old camera from the telescope because a bolt was stuck. They fetched extra tools, but none seemed to work. Finally, Mission Control urged the astronauts to use as much force as possible, even though there was a risk the bolt might break. If that had happened, the old camera would be stuck inside, leaving no room for its souped-up replacement. "OK, here we go," Feustel said. "I think I've got it. It turned. It definitely turned." And then: "Woo-hoo, it's moving out!" The extra effort paid off but put the astronauts a little behind schedule in their first spacewalk of shuttle Atlantis' mission. In all, five high-risk spacewalks are planned to fix Hubble's broken parts and plug in higher-tech science instruments. Atlantis and its crew are traveling in an especially high orbit, 350 miles above Earth, that is littered with pieces of smashed satellites. A 4-inch piece of space junk passed within a couple miles of the shuttle Wednesday night, just hours after the shuttle grabbed Hubble. Even something that small could cause big damage. For the first time, another shuttle is on standby in case it needs to rush to the rescue. Once the sticky bolt was freed, Feustel pulled out the old camera, the size of a baby grand piano. "This has been in there for 16 years, Drew," said Grunsfeld, "and it didn't want to come out." The spacewalkers followed up with the installation of the replacement camera. From inside Atlantis, spacewalk overseer Michael Massimino congratulated Grunsfeld and Feustel for "adjusting to the curve ball that was thrown at you." The newly inserted wide-field and planetary camera - worth $132 million - will allow astronomers to peer deeper into the universe, to within 500 million to 600 million years of creation.

05-15-2009, 05:14 AM	#12
Dantheman62 Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: So. Cal. U.S. Posts: 4,205	Re: Shuttle astronauts snag Hubble telescope! Did you catch that!.........A wide field and planetary camera worth $132 million!!!! will allow astronomers to peer deeper into the universe, to within 500 million to 600 million years of creation.

05-15-2009, 01:10 PM	#14
Lorien Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Beyond the rim.... Posts: 412	Re: Shuttle astronauts snag Hubble telescope! As much as I love space pictures, it's a shame we didn't use all this time and energy on researching technologies that would allow us to just go out there and look at it ourselves

05-15-2009, 05:20 PM	#15
Dantheman62 Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: So. Cal. U.S. Posts: 4,205	Re: Shuttle astronauts snag Hubble telescope! In this image released by NASA, the space shuttle Atlantis(C top) and the Hubble Space Telescope (C bottom) are seen in silhouette, side by side in this solar transit image made from Florida. This image taken from NASA video show spacewalking astronauts from the shuttle Atlantis working on the Hubble telescope. US astronauts Friday resumed their ambitious overhaul of the Hubble telescope, set to replace failing gyroscopes and aging batteries in the pointing and power systems.