NASA expresses 'elation' at space shuttle's successful link with Hubble

by Rich Bowden - May 14 2009, 00:30

NASA flight controllers have said they are "elated" with the successful linking between the space shuttle Atlantis and the orbiting telescope Hubble.

Atlantis' crew have arrived to carry out the last repair and upgrade of the iconic observatory, which should see it continue to operate until its planned decommissioning in 2014.

"After 19 years, it still looks to be in amazing shape," said Jon Morse, astrophysics division director during a press conference. "There was such a feeling of elation. It was truly a wonderful sight... the telescope on the end of the grapple arm with the Earth in the background. It was an amazing sight."

At 12:14 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, mission specialist Megan McArthur used the Atlantis grapple arm to manouevre the space telescope onto a Flight Support System maintenance platform inside the payload bay of Atlantis.

The capture was confirmed with the following exchange between McArthur and Mission Control:

"Houston, Hubble has arrived onboard," she reported soon after the telescope was safely stowed. "Nice job, Megan," replied Mission Control.

The link-up did survive one minor scare though, when space junk from a Chinese satellite was tracked near the space shuttle and the telescope. However the danger passed, according to NASA's official site, with no action needed from the crew.

Five spacewalks are set to begin on Thursday in order to start Hubble's upgrades and repair work.

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