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| Spacewalk gives Hubble new life | Spacewalk gives Hubble new life |
| (5 days later) | |
| Astronauts upgrading the Hubble Space Telescope have made a third spacewalk in as many days to make repairs deep inside the orbiting observatory. | Astronauts upgrading the Hubble Space Telescope have made a third spacewalk in as many days to make repairs deep inside the orbiting observatory. |
| They ventured outside the shuttle Atlantis for more than six hours to overhaul Hubble's broken main camera. | They ventured outside the shuttle Atlantis for more than six hours to overhaul Hubble's broken main camera. |
| John Grunsfeld and Andrew Feustel also installed a $88m (£58m) instrument. | John Grunsfeld and Andrew Feustel also installed a $88m (£58m) instrument. |
| The new Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) is expected to provide further insight into how planets, stars and galaxies were formed. | The new Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) is expected to provide further insight into how planets, stars and galaxies were formed. |
| Despite the fact it was never meant to be repaired in space, Atlantis' commander described the operation to revive Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) as "smooth sailing". | Despite the fact it was never meant to be repaired in space, Atlantis' commander described the operation to revive Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) as "smooth sailing". |
| The astronauts were able to restore the camera's wide field channel, with which most of its astronomical observations are made. | The astronauts were able to restore the camera's wide field channel, with which most of its astronomical observations are made. |
| But the repairs failed to recover the ACS high resolution channel, which may now be down for good - despite hopes it could be retrieved another way. | But the repairs failed to recover the ACS high resolution channel, which may now be down for good - despite hopes it could be retrieved another way. |
| HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE Named after the great US astronomer Edwin HubbleLaunched in 1990 into a 600km-high circular orbit Equipped with a 2.4m primary mirror and five instrumentsLength: 15.9m; diameter: 4.2m; Mass: 11,110kg In pictures: The best of Hubble | HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE Named after the great US astronomer Edwin HubbleLaunched in 1990 into a 600km-high circular orbit Equipped with a 2.4m primary mirror and five instrumentsLength: 15.9m; diameter: 4.2m; Mass: 11,110kg In pictures: The best of Hubble |
| Mr Grunsfeld, a 50-year-old astronomer, and Mr Feustel, a 43-year-old geologist, also attached a new external power source. | Mr Grunsfeld, a 50-year-old astronomer, and Mr Feustel, a 43-year-old geologist, also attached a new external power source. |
| During the third extra-vehicular activity (EVA) of the mission, Mr Grunsfeld removed 32 tiny screws using an assortment of hand ratchets and cutters. | During the third extra-vehicular activity (EVA) of the mission, Mr Grunsfeld removed 32 tiny screws using an assortment of hand ratchets and cutters. |
| On Friday, the astronauts struggled to complete a critical repair to the telescope, fitting a refurbished pair of gyroscopes in the telescope after a new set refused to go in. | |
| The troubled spacewalk - the second - was the longest yet, lasting eight hours. | The troubled spacewalk - the second - was the longest yet, lasting eight hours. |
| "At times, I felt like I was wrestling a bear," Mike Massimino was quoted as saying by AFP news agency, as he and Mike Good struggled to install the gyroscopes, or "rate sensing units" (RSUs). | "At times, I felt like I was wrestling a bear," Mike Massimino was quoted as saying by AFP news agency, as he and Mike Good struggled to install the gyroscopes, or "rate sensing units" (RSUs). |
| Previously, only three of the six gyroscopes worked, now Hubble has four brand new sets and two refurbished ones. Only two are needed to orient the telescope properly. | Previously, only three of the six gyroscopes worked, now Hubble has four brand new sets and two refurbished ones. Only two are needed to orient the telescope properly. |
| There have now been 21 spacewalks undertaken in the service of the 19-year-old observatory. | There have now been 21 spacewalks undertaken in the service of the 19-year-old observatory. |
| On Thursday, the telescope's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 was replaced with the Wide Field Camera 3, giving the telescope an even deeper view into space - and back into the history of time. | On Thursday, the telescope's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 was replaced with the Wide Field Camera 3, giving the telescope an even deeper view into space - and back into the history of time. |
| A data processing unit that failed in 2008 was also replaced. | A data processing unit that failed in 2008 was also replaced. |
| There are no plans for further trips to Hubble after this mission ends which is why the repairs are so crucial. | There are no plans for further trips to Hubble after this mission ends which is why the repairs are so crucial. |
| "We're enjoying the moment and savouring it... the goal is to make the next two days go as well as today went," senior spokesman for Nasa Preston Burch said. | "We're enjoying the moment and savouring it... the goal is to make the next two days go as well as today went," senior spokesman for Nasa Preston Burch said. |
| If all goes well, the fifth and final spacewalk is set for Monday and the telescope will be released from the cargo bay of the Atlantis shuttle on Tuesday. | If all goes well, the fifth and final spacewalk is set for Monday and the telescope will be released from the cargo bay of the Atlantis shuttle on Tuesday. |