Space History for December 20: Hubble SM-3A

[CalliArcale]

Note: that's December 20, GMT. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> It was still December 19 in Florida. But I get my data for these features from a source that uses GMT for everything, so I'm doing this one today.<br /><br />On December 19, 1999, the Space Shuttle Discovery blasted off on STS-103 from Pad B at LC-39 on the very last opportunity to fly in 1999 without the possibility of any mid-flight Y2K issues. (Such issues would be unlikely, but NASA didn't want to take chances when the Y2K bug can be easily avoided merely by not using any vulnerable computers during the switchover.) It had been delayed many times as engineers, technicians, and controllers worked to resolve issues from the previous flight, STS-93. STS-93 is noteworthy, because it was very nearly Columbia's last flight. There were several problems, firstly an electrical short knocking out two main engine controllers, but the most serious was a hydrogen leak in SSME #3, causing it to run very hot and leading to a premature MECO when the LH2 was exhausted. To make matters worse, this was the heaviest Shuttle flight to date. (ISS construction has since broken that record.) Nevertheless, the mission was a success, as the onboard computers were able to compensate successfully and the Chandra X-ray Observatory was launched.<br /><br />STS-103, six months later in December of '99, was also a space telescope mission. The Space Shuttle Discovery blasted off on Hubble Servicing Mission 3A. Crew were Commander Curtis Brown, Pilot Scott Kelly, MS Steven Smith, MS Michael Foale, MS John Grunsfeld, and two ESA astronauts: MS Claude Nicollier and MS Jean-Francois Clervoy. Originally planned for a later date, Servicing Mission 3 was split into two flights because of the deteriorating gyros aboard Hubble; flight rules dictated that NASA consider replacing gyros if three of the six failed, and the third one failed in 1999. Nevertheless, there were delays in getting the flight up after Columbia's last flight; <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[mattblack]

>>December 19: My birthday!!<<<br /><br />Thanks for the lookback and summary, Calli. I hope they announce the crew for the last Hubble flight the day of Discovery's next wheels stop in 2006. This will give everyone something to look forward to and to root for.<br /><br />And after the Hubble Mission has wheels stop, I hope they they fly the bare minimum number of flights for ISS assembly after that, at least getting Columbus and Kibo up there after Node 2 and the U.S. arrays. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p>One Percent of Federal Funding For Space: America <strong><em><u>CAN</u></em></strong> Afford it!!  LEO is a <strong><em>Prison</em></strong> -- It's time for a <em><strong>JAILBREAK</strong></em>!!</p> </div>

 

[vt_hokie]

I actually got to work with the Hubble rate sensor units that went up on SM-3A. And then when we were done, I got RIF'd! <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />