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Atlantis mission to Hubble on hold until 2009; managers to speak later
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The meticulous planning that put two space shuttles on the launch pads together, one poised to fly as a backup rescue mission for the other, is being revised in the light of onboard Hubble Space Telescope problems, NASA managers said today. Atlantis, set to launch on Oct. 14, is now on hold until next year.
The problems with the primary data controller will be discussed in a briefing scheduled for 6 p.m. EDT today. Participating will be:
- Ed Weiler, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington
- John Shannon, Shuttle Program manager at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston
- Preston Burch, Hubble manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
NASA says that the problem is "complex." Whether or not a backup unit can be started after 18 years of inactivity isn't yet known. Because the primary so far has operated flawlessly, there wasn't a need to bring the other unit online.
Other choices: there's a spare on Earth on the shelf. However, that unit would require intensive testing on the ground. Inserting that spare, or other on-orbit fixes, would require additional astronaut training.
The mission plan already includes five spacewalks and specialized Hubble upgrade work that's had STS-125 astronauts in training for two years.
For more info:NASA conference announcement
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