posted 06-20-2010 11:16 AM
The most recent issue of Quest: The History of Spaceflight Quarterly has some fascinating articles about the 20th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope. The issue features a long oral history article with Astronaut Kathy Sullivan -- the first woman to walk in space (STS-41G) and a key member of the Hubble deployment crew (STS-31). I found two aspects of the oral history especially interesting. The Challenger disaster postponed launch of HST for four years (from 1986 to 1990). During this period Kathryn explains how she and Bruce McCandless spent countless hours developing procedure and equipment for repairs. They took most of the tools to the flight vehicle while it was on the ground to verify they fit and would work. They even approached how to replace the Power Contro Unit, despite doubts that it could be done.
The proof of the pudding was that during STS-125, the final servicing mission, this complicated structure was indeed replaced. The Challenger disaster gave the HST team the extra time to prepare for servicing, insuring the success of the repair missions.
The second aspect was an interesting story about how STS-125 crew member Megan McArthur asked Sullivan if she wanted an astronaut pin specially designed by Sullivan flown on STS-125. Sullivan was surprised because she did not know McArthur, having left NASA in 1993 before McArthur's arrival. It turns out that Sullivan had talked years before with McArthur when she was a young student and had given her advice and a motivational talk. Sullivan did not specifically remember this student because she was one of dozens she had mentored, and was pleased to find out that she became a member of the HST servicing mission. The pin flew on STS-125 and was later returned to Kathy Sullivan.
posted 06-20-2010 11:16 AM
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