Repairing Hubble
Credit:
The first Hubble Space Telescope (HST)
servicing mission, STS-61, was one of the most complicated
shuttle missions ever planned.
Launched on December 2, 1993 in the
Space Shuttle Endeavor, the astronauts
were required to make 5 space walks to repair the HST.
Astronaut F. Story Musgrave, holding one of the
handrails on the HST, is seen here during what became the
second longest space walk in
NASA history
at just under 8 hours.
The highly successful mission demonstrated the ability of
shuttle astronauts to repair satellites in orbit and allowed
the HST to continue to
explore the Universe.
A future HST servicing mission is planned for 1997.