Wide Field Camera 3

Image Library

This webpage is kept for archival purposes only and is no longer updated or maintained.

Image Library

2004 March - Goddard - Instrument Awating Testing

The WFC3 instrument integration at the Goddard Space Flight Center is nearly complete. Both flight detectors have been integrated. The instrument is undergoing final check-out and close-out activities prior to commencing the ambient calibration and thermal vacuum testing.

men with instrument instrument side view instrument top view

2003 May - Goddard - Refurbished Radiator

The radiator is the only portion of the instrument that is exposed to space as it curves along Hubble's outside shell. The radiator of WFPC1 is refurbished for WFC3. Not only is it repaired, resurfaced, and repainted, but physical and electrical reconfigurations are made to accommodate the mechanisms of WFC3.

radiator rad. 156 rad. 158

2003 May - Goddard - Optical Bench into Enclosure

Having been worked on separately for over a year, the main enclosure and the optical bench come together as the latter is carefully inserted into the former.

The flat metal plate shown in the top center image is WFC3's cold plate. It goes beneath the optical bench on the floor of the main enclosure.

lift lift 72 lift 86
lift 40 lift 92 lift 95

2002 Jul - Goddard - Main Enclosure Tests

At a testing lab of Goddard Space Flight Center, the main enclosure (outside shell) of WFC3 is being tested for integrity and proper signal conduction.

enclosure of WFC3 photo 1 enclosure of WFC3 photo 2 enclosure of WFC3 photo 3
enclosure of WFC3 4 enclosure of WFC3 5 enclosure of WFC3 6

2002 Jul - Swales Aerospace - Optical Components

All incoming light goes through these components before it hits the light detectors of one of the two channels (UVis & IR). Click here to see part descriptions.

IR filter wheel
IR Filter Wheel		 SOFA
UVis Filter Assembly (SOFA)		 UVIS shutter device
UVis Shutter Device
IR Cold Enclosure
IR Cold Enclosure		 TIP/Tilt Corrector
Tip/Tilt Corrector		 Channel Select Mechanism
Channel Select Mechanism

2002 Nov - Swales Aerospace - Filters

Filters deterimine which wavelengths of light reach the light detectors. Top row: UVis Filters and wheels. Bottom row: IR filters and wheels. Click here for more info on WFC3's filters.

uvis close uvis wheel uvis
IR close ir wheel ir man work

2001 Aug - Swales Aerospace - A New Optical Bench

The WFC3 optical bench panels have been fabricated and cleaned. They are presently being assembled at Swales Aerospace. The panels are constructed of graphite composite face sheets and aluminum honeycomb core.

optical bench img 1 optical bench img 2 optical bench img 3
optical bench img 4 optical bench img 5 optical bench img 6

2001 Sep - Johnson Space Center - Zero-G Simulation

In the Neutral Buoyancy Lab (NBL) at Johnson, astronauts train underwater to simulate zero-gravity conditions. Here they release a WFC3 mockup from a carrier and angle it over to a Hubble simulator for insertion.

underwater training img1 underwater training img2 underwater training img3
underwater training img4 underwater training img5 underwater training img6

2000 - 3D Models of WFC3's Outside

The pick-mirror is at the "tip" of WFC3. It directs incoming light into the instrument. The rounded structure at the "back" of WFC3 is the radiator which will become part of the outer shell of Hubble to expel heat into space.

3D model of WFC3 outside view, img 1 3D model of WFC3 outside view, img 2 3D model of WFC3 outside view, img 3
3D model of WFC3 outside view, img 4 3D model of WFC3 outside view, img 5  

2000 - 3D Models of WFC3's Inside

The first row shows WFC3 with its top off. The optical bench can be seen (dark blue structure) as well as the electronic boxes. The bottom row shows the optics of WFC3 through a transparent optical bench.

3D model of WFC3 inside view, img 1 3D model of WFC3 inside view, img 2 3D model of WFC3 inside view, img 3
3D model of WFC3 inside view, img 4 3D model of WFC3 inside view, img 5 3D model of WFC3 inside view, img 6

1999 Apr - Goddard Systems Lab - WFPC1 Deintegration

WFPC1 is carefully positioned for deintegration (disassembled). In the bottom row of pictures, you can see that the optical bench has been removed from the main enclosure.

A new optical bench will be fashioned for WFC3; however, some of the optical components inside the bench will be taken out and reused for WFC3. The main enclosure and radiator will also be reused for the new instrument.

WFPC1 Deintegration, img 1 WFPC1 Deintegration, img 2 WFPC1 Deintegration, img 3
WFPC1 Deintegration, img 4 WFPC1 Deintegration, img 5 WFPC1 Deintegration, img 6

1999 Feb - Goddard Systems Lab - WFPC1 Different Views

WFPC1 in the Systems Lab for Alignment and Calibration (SLAC). From the different picture angles, you can easily see the radiator (white curved structure), the main enclosure (tan-trimmed framework), and the optical bench (black holed object inside).

wfpc 1 , img 1 wfpc 1 , img 2 wfpc 1 , img 3 wfpc 1 , img 4

1998 Aug - Goddard Cleanroom - WFPC1 Prep

Many of Hubble's parts and instruments are built and tested in Goddard's cleanroom. WFPC1 is prepared for its deintegration so that its parts can be used for WFC3. The captions below refer to the left wide-angle image.

Goddard cleanroom, img 1 Goddard cleanroom, img 2

Center - The pie-shaped structure is WFPC1.
Far Wall (grid) - WFPC1 points at the the Hubble mockup (High fidelity Mechanical Simulator or HFMS).
Top Right Corner - The tan round structure is the electrical simulator for the Hubble Space Telescope.
Right Wall - Along the right wall is one of the carriers used to carry scientific instruments into orbit aboard the shuttle.
Left Wall - Along the left wall is the Flight Support System (FSS). During servicing missions in space, it attaches Hubble to the Space Shuttle.

hubble mockup in cleanroom, 1

A close-up of WFPC1 and the Hubble mockup (HFMS) is shown in the left and middle images. The top rectangular hole on the mockup is where WFPC1 was taken from on the real Hubble.

 hubble mockup in cleanroom, 2

A close-up of WFPC1 and the Hubble mockup (HFMS) is shown in the left and middle images. The top rectangular hole on the mockup is where WFPC1 was taken from on the real Hubble.

 WFPC1 being moved

The WFPC1 is being moved by a counterbalance fixture. This fixture also serves to approximate a 0-g environment for astronaut training.
radiator of WFPC1

The external radiator of the WFPC1. The radiator was exposed to space as part of the outer-shell of Hubble. The panel in the center provides access to the power supplies in the instrument.

 side view of WFPC1

Side view of the WFPC1. The inner black box with rivets is the main enclosure of WFPC1. The aluminum structure framing the WFPC1 is a transport fixture that secures the location of the latches on the instrument.

 end view of intrument

This is the view of the instrument from the end that is inserted into Hubble. The Pick-off Mirror is obscured by the aluminum fixture.