| On October 31, 2006, NASA Administrator Mike Griffin announced that there will be another servicing mission (SM4) to Hubble to be launched in mid- to late-2008. Read NASA Press Release |
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What? » |
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To
ensure the imaging capabilities of Hubble, Wide
Field Camera 3 (WFC3) will replace Wide Field
Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2).
Currently, there are five scientific instruments
operating on Hubble. WFC3 will possibly be Hubble's
last and most technologically advanced instrument
to take images in the visible spectrum.
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Why? » |
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In
June 1997, NASA made the decision to extend the
HST mission from 2005 until 2010. As a result,
the age and condition of the instruments on board
Hubble became a consideration that had to be revisited.
WFPC2 has been Hubble's "workhorse"
instrument since it was installed in 1993, capturing
more images for astronomers and the public than
any other instrument. But technology often needs
an upgrade, and after ten years, WFC3 will provide
that. Think how far personal computers have advanced
in ten years.
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How? » |
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WFC3
will go through various stages before it is finally
installed into Hubble in orbit - planning, building,
testing, training, and more testing. Millions
of man hours will be put into WFC3.
For installation, WFC3 will be stowed aboard a
space shuttle and taken up to Hubble in orbit
where astronauts will perform the installation
of WFC3 after removing WFPC2 from Hubble's radial
bay.
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When? » |
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The
planning and construction of WFC3 has been ongoing
since 1997.
Its installation during Servicing Mission 4 (SM4)
is currently set for 2006.
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Where? » |
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WFC3
is being constructed mostly at Goddard Space Flight
Center (GSFC in Maryland) and Ball Aerospace (in
Colorado). Also various parts are being built
by contractors across the United States and the
United Kingdom.
Hubble is located in 600 km (375 miles) above
the Earth's surface in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
The space shuttle will match altitude and velocity
with Hubble so that the astronauts can perform
their operation...
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Who? » |
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The
Hubble Project, led by NASA, consists of a myriad
of organizations and companies in government,
academia, and industry. Those who worked to build
WFPC1, WFPC2, and several other HST instruments
are working together on WFC3, leveraging their
experience to provide a superior instrument at
a modest cost. CLICK
HERE for a listing of all those involved with
WFC3.
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