HOUSTON -
Atlantis astronauts began conserving power aboard their shuttle in case bad
weather prevents their planned landing on Friday and hailed their successful
repairs to the Hubble Space Telescope.
Mission Control
asked the shuttle crew to power down non-essential systems Wednesday in case
stormy weather in Florida thwarts their landing attempts at the Kennedy Space
Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The shuttle can also try and land Saturday or
Sunday in Florida or at a backup runway in California.
Atlantis
commander Scott Altman and his crew had a well-earned day off Wednesday and
wore broad smiles as they recounted their mission to overhaul the 19-year-old
Hubble with reporters on Earth and the astronauts aboard the International Space
Station. They were expecting a private call from U.S. President Barack Obama
later today.
"It's
amazing looking back at how hard things a couple of times, that were more
difficult than I ever expected," Altman said. "I think we were very
successful."
The seven
astronauts aboard Atlantis faced down stuck bolts and stubborn gyroscopes
during five challenging spacewalks to repair Hubble's two
dead instruments and add two brand new ones and other gear to extend the
iconic observatory's life by another five or 10 years. They are the last humans
ever to touch or see Hubble up close.
"We did it,
but I'm still impressed that we did it," said astronaut Andrew Feustel, who
performed three of the five spacewalks.
The three
astronauts aboard the International Space Station commended the Atlantis
crew for their successful Hubble repair, even if they admitted some
professional jealousy.
"We all
kind of envy you the chance to touch Hubble a final time," station astronaut
Michael Barratt of NASA said.
For
Atlantis spacewalker Michael Massimino, one of the highest points was almost
one of the lowest. During a delicate
repair to Hubble's broken Space Telescope Imaging Spectrometer, a bolt
holding a handrail in place stuck fast and blocked his way. After more than an
hour of delay, he finally just ripped the handrail off Hubble - with the
approval of Mission Control, of course.
"Ripping
that thing out of there was quite an experience, and I'm glad it led to a
successful repair," said Massimino, adding that he drew inspiration from his
uncle Frank, who once ripped an oil filter out a car using farm tools. "That
was pretty close to what was going on with Hubble."
None of
Atlantis' crew left a sign or personal note on Hubble before sending it on its
way, but Massimino's handrail action will live on history, Barratt said.
"The magic
Massimino touch is now legendary, and we're looking forward to seeing you guys
back on the ground," he added.
Atlantis is
due to land at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Friday
at 10:01 a.m. EDT (1401 GMT).
SPACE.com
is providing continuous coverage of NASA's last mission to the Hubble Space Telescope
with senior editor Tariq Malik in Houston and reporter Clara Moskowitz in New
York. Click here for
mission updates and SPACE.com's live NASA TV video feed.
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