STS-31: Difference between revisions

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The main purpose of this mission was to deploy Hubble. It was designed to operate above the Earth's turbulent and obscuring atmosphere to observe celestial objects at ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared wavelengths. The Hubble mission was a joint NASA-ESA effort going back to the late 1970s. The rest of the mission was devoted to photography and onboard experiments. To launch HST into an orbit that guaranteed longevity, ''Discovery'' soared to {{convert|600|km}}. The record height permitted the crew to photograph Earth's large-scale geographic features not apparent from lower orbits. Motion pictures were recorded by two IMAX cameras, and the results appeared in the IMAX film [[Destiny in Space]]. Experiments included a biomedical technology study, advanced materials research, particle contamination and ionizing radiation measurements, and a student science project studying zero gravity effects on electronic arcs. ''Discovery''’s reentry from its higher than usual orbit required a deorbit burn of 4 minutes and 58 seconds, the longest in Shuttle history up to that time.
 
During the deploy of Hubble, one of the observatory's solar arrays stopped as it unfurled. While ground controllers searched for a way to command HST to unreel the solar array, Mission Specialists McCandless and Sullivan began preparing for a contingency [[spacewalk]] in the event that the array could not be deployed through ground control. The array eventually came free and unfurled through ground control, while McCandless and Sullivan were pre-breathing inside the partially depressurized airlock.<ref>{{cite web|title=Hubble Servicing Challenges Drive Innovation of Shuttle Rendezvous Techniques|url=http://klabs.org/richcontent/general_technology/shuttle_rendezvous_with_hubble.pdf|publisher=American Astronomical Society - Rocky Mountain Section|accessdate=20 July 2013|author=Goodman, John L.|author2=Walker, Stephen R. |page=6|year=2009|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120605212956/http://klabs.org/richcontent/general_technology/shuttle_rendezvous_with_hubble.pdf|archivedate=5 June 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
 
Secondary payloads included the [[IMAX]] Cargo Bay Camera (ICBC) to document operations outside the crew cabin and a handheld IMAX camera for use inside the orbiter. Also included were the Ascent Particle Monitor (APM) to detect particulate matter in the payload bay; a Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) experiment to provide data on growing protein crystals in microgravity, [[Radiation]] Monitoring Equipment III (RME III) to measure [[gamma ray]] levels in the crew cabin; Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing (IPMP) to determine porosity control in the [[microgravity]] environment, and an Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) experiment.