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Hubble Spacewalks and Technologies
 
Two astronauts in white suits standing outside on the shuttle in space wave to the cameraman inside the space shuttle

Astronauts John Grunsfeld (right) and Richard M. Linnehan are on a spacewalk near the Hubble Space Telescope during Hubble Servicing Mission 3B. Image Credit: NASA

 The STS-125 astronaut crew performed five back-to-back spacewalks to repair and service the Hubble Space Telescope. The tasks completed on these spacewalks extended the operational lifetime of HST through 2014. The success of the mission depended on the spacesuits, tools and skills that were used to repair Hubble and the people of NASA who make this all happen.

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  • Classroom Activities and Simulations
  • Multimedia
  • Related Resource Sites



 

The Sight/Insight Astronaut Tool Development Project-Based Learning

Graphic that has the word "Sight" in brown letters on a white background, and the word "Insight" in white letters on a brown background

Spectacular sights, unexpected insights — the Hubble Space Telescope has brought both. Image Credit: USA Today

 This six-week project asks student teams of four to design an astronaut tool that could fix a problem on the Hubble Space Telescope. The project encourages individual responsibility, collaboration and creativity; it requires integrated and experiential learning and concludes with the submission of a project portfolio that documents and demonstrates student accomplishments.

> View Sight | Insight Site
 

Be the Mastermind Behind the Mission Activity

Image of a small astronaut floating on a tether near the Hubble

Teach students critical skills with this interactive activity based on Servicing Mission 3B. Image Credit: NASA

 Students use critical thinking and reading skills by searching for word and picture clues from the events of the 2002 Servicing Mission 3B, including the shuttle launch and spacewalks to place mission events in the correct sequence.

> View site
 

Spacewalk Simulation

A 3-D animation of Hubble Space Telescope repair mission STS-125

This image shows the Hubble Space Telescope in the shuttle on the robotic arm. Image Credit: DigitalSpace Corporation

 This is a spacewalk simulation that can be downloaded and run on PC, but not Macintosh, platforms. The software lets users experience one of three spacewalks and select different camera views as astronauts perform tasks to replace parts of the telescope. The simulation is currently a Public Beta.

> View site


 

Five Spacewalks Are Planned for Hubble Servicing Mission

An astronaut waves toward the camera during a spacewalk

Astronaut Mike Massimino waves as he performs a spacewalk during Hubble Servicing Mission 3B. Image Credit: NASA

 The five spacewalks that upgraded and enhanced Hubble's capabilities began on the fourth day of the mission. Visit the Space Shuttle Mission Information page to read about the five excursions outside the spacecraft.

>  View Servicing Mission Fact Sheet

 

Divers in the Johnson Space Center Neutral Buoyancy Lab

Hubble Carrier manager Mark Hubbard (left) and EVA and crew systems engineer Steve Schneider prepare for the mission to Hubble with a scuba run in NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Lab in Houston, Texas. Image Credit: NASA

 Goddard Engineers and Divers Multi-Task for Hubble

How do NASA astronauts prepare for Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions? The planning can be tedious and the preparation involves a lot of time. The astronauts spend many hours practicing on intricate, full-sized models of the telescope. More information about training is available here.

>  View story and video

 

Innovative Tools for an Out-of-This-World Job

Photo of astronaut Andrew Feustel training with the Pistol Grip Tool

Servicing Mission 4 astronaut Andrew Feustel trains with fellow astronauts and Hubble engineers in the clean room at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Feustel is using a computer-controlled power tool, called the Pistol Grip Tool, to install the Wide Field Camera 3 into a high-fidelity Hubble model. Image Credit: NASA

 The Crew Aids and Tools team at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is responsible for designing and manufacturing special equipment for astronauts to use on Hubble servicing missions. Engineers have been working on custom tools and other aids that astronauts will need as they make necessary upgrades and repairs to the famed observatory.

Learn more about the special tools in this feature story and short video.

>  View story and video

 

NASA Edge

The words NASA Edge

NASA EDGE takes a unique look in and around the greatest space program on the planet. Image Credit: NASA

 NASA Edge Hubble Vodcast: Last Mission to Hubble — The Last Mission to Hubble vodcast includes a Hubble trivia quiz, an inside look at Hubble engineering challenges from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and tons of pre-quarantine interviews with the astronaut crew from NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

> View vodcast

 

NASA Hubble eClips

NASA eClips™logo

The NASA eClips™: Innovative Real World Learning videos offer useful, up-to-date information for the classroom. Image Credit: NASA

 NASA eClips are videos highlighting current research and innovations along with lesson plans that can be used in the classroom.

The links below point to a page that lists several eClips. Please scroll through the list below the large video by using the scroll bar tot he far right to find the spacewalk-related titles as they are shown in the list below:

Grades K-5
Hubble Clothing: Thermal Protection Blankets
The Importance of Spacesuits
Radiation

Grades 6-8
Hubble Thermal Blanket
Power Tools in Space

Grades 9-12
The Making of the Biosuit

 


Related Resource Sites




>  Return to The Hubble Space Telescope Inspires Wonder Education Resource Page
 
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