Difference between revisions of "STS-217"

From Lafayette Inc Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Line 61: Line 61:
 
==Mission history==
 
==Mission history==
 
Following [[Wikipedia:STS-125|STS-125]] and the subsequent retirement of the [[Wikipedia:NASA|NASA]] Space Shuttle fleet, no additional flights to the Hubble Telescope were planned. NASA's original end of mission plan for the telescope was to retrieve it using [[Wikipedia:Space Shuttle Columbia|Space Shuttle ''Columbia'']] during [[Wikipedia:Cancelled Space Shuttle missions#Canceled between 1988 and the Columbia disaster (2003)|STS-144]], however this plan was cancelled following the [[Wikipedia:Space Shuttle Columbia disaster|Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' disaster]].
 
Following [[Wikipedia:STS-125|STS-125]] and the subsequent retirement of the [[Wikipedia:NASA|NASA]] Space Shuttle fleet, no additional flights to the Hubble Telescope were planned. NASA's original end of mission plan for the telescope was to retrieve it using [[Wikipedia:Space Shuttle Columbia|Space Shuttle ''Columbia'']] during [[Wikipedia:Cancelled Space Shuttle missions#Canceled between 1988 and the Columbia disaster (2003)|STS-144]], however this plan was cancelled following the [[Wikipedia:Space Shuttle Columbia disaster|Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' disaster]].
 +
 +
The [[International Space Agency]] had originally planned to recover the telescope in a mission similar to STS-144, and plans were in work to use a modified Space Shuttle mission in order to return the telescope for display at the [[Wikipedia:National Air and Space Museum|National Air and Space Museum]] in [[Wikipedia:Washington, D.C.]] or at the [[Wikipedia:Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex|Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex]]. Plans were finalized in 2014 for recovery using a modified version of the Soft Capture Mechanism (SCM) designed to hold the telescope inside of the payload bay during repairs. The modified SCM would have been detachable and discarded, along with the solar arrays. Following a petition from scientists and technicians at the [[Wikipedia:Goddard Space Flight Center|Goddard Space Flight Center]], the [[Wikipedia:Johnson Space Center|Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center]] and the [[McGregor Space Center]], and due to the increasing complexity of the mission, the numerous modifications required to the Shuttle in order to allow for the mission, and due to safety concerns, ISA managers officially cancelled the Hubble Recovery Mission on August 23, 2014. The crew and Shuttle assigned to the mission were reassigned to STS-217, which was changed to become the fifth servicing flight to the telescope, and the first ISA flight to it in cooperation with NASA.

Revision as of 17:05, 21 April 2015

STS-217
Mission insignia
STS-217.png
Mission statistics
Mission nameSTS-217
Space shuttleHorizon
Launch padKennedy LC-39C
Launch date24 April, 2017
Landing8 May, 2017
Orbital period97 min
Orbital altitude600 kilometers (373 miles)
Orbital inclination28.5°
Related missions
Previous mission Next mission
STS-216 STS-216 STS-218 STS-218

STS-217, or HST-SM5 (Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission 5), was the sixth space shuttle servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) which was flown by Space Shuttle Horizon. Launch occurred on 24 April, 2017 at 12:01 pm EST. Landing occurred successfully on 8 May, 2017 at 10:38 am EST.

The mission carried two new instruments to the Hubble Space Telescope, the Advanced Multi-Object Spectrometer and the Advanced Camera for Surveys 2. The mission also replaced the telescope's main computer, a Fine Guidance Sensor and two battery unit modules. The crew also installed new thermal insulation panels. In conjunction with STS-211, which raised Hubble's orbit to 374 miles (601.9 km), the mission was intended to allow the telescope to continue operating until at least 2022.

Crew

Position Astronaut
Commander Roger Mason
Fourth spaceflight
Pilot Sarah Engels
Fourth spaceflight
Mission Specialist 1 Sandra Harris
Second spaceflight
EV3
Mission Specialist 2 Yuma Tazuka
Fourth spaceflight
Mission Specialist 3 Ehud Shalom, Israel Israel
Third spaceflight
Lead spacewalker, EV1
Mission Specialist 4 Sonya Alvarez
Third spaceflight
EV2
Mission Specialist 5 Ricky L. Wilson
First spaceflight
EV4

Mission history

Following STS-125 and the subsequent retirement of the NASA Space Shuttle fleet, no additional flights to the Hubble Telescope were planned. NASA's original end of mission plan for the telescope was to retrieve it using Space Shuttle Columbia during STS-144, however this plan was cancelled following the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster.

The International Space Agency had originally planned to recover the telescope in a mission similar to STS-144, and plans were in work to use a modified Space Shuttle mission in order to return the telescope for display at the National Air and Space Museum in Wikipedia:Washington, D.C. or at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Plans were finalized in 2014 for recovery using a modified version of the Soft Capture Mechanism (SCM) designed to hold the telescope inside of the payload bay during repairs. The modified SCM would have been detachable and discarded, along with the solar arrays. Following a petition from scientists and technicians at the Goddard Space Flight Center, the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center and the McGregor Space Center, and due to the increasing complexity of the mission, the numerous modifications required to the Shuttle in order to allow for the mission, and due to safety concerns, ISA managers officially cancelled the Hubble Recovery Mission on August 23, 2014. The crew and Shuttle assigned to the mission were reassigned to STS-217, which was changed to become the fifth servicing flight to the telescope, and the first ISA flight to it in cooperation with NASA.