Space Topics: Hubble Space Telescope
The Year in Pictures: 2009
Rejuvenating hubble
Hubble Servicing Mission 4
Credit: NASA
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In a grueling mission that included five
spacewalks, seven astronauts on the STS-
125 mission aboard space shuttle Atlantis
performed repairs
and upgrades to the Hubble Space Telescope that should allow it to
carry on its program of astronomical observations
for at least five more years. They installed
two new instruments, repaired two
others, replaced gyroscopes and batteries,
and added new thermal insulation blankets.
This photo was taken during the final
spacewalk, as astronauts John Grunsfeld
(positioned on the end of Atlantis’ robotic arm)
and Andrew Feustel (foreground) worked on
the spacecraft with a cloudy Earth floating in
the background.
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