Space >> Space Multimedia

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Expedition 20 Lifts Off

Flight Engineers Roman Romanenko, Frank De Winne and Robert Thirsk of the 20th International Space Station crew launched in their Soyuz TMA-15 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 6:34 a.m. EDT Wednesday, May 27, 2009, to begin a six-month stay in space.

Expedition 20 will mark the start of six-person crew operations aboard the International Space Station. All five of the international partner agencies--NASA, the Russian Federal Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency--will be represented on orbit for the first time.

posted by Nature Gift @ 5:53 AM permanent link   |

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Heading Toward 'Von Braun' Mound

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit used its navigation camera to capture this view of the terrain toward the southeast from the location Spirit reached on the 1,871st Martian day, or sol, of the its mission (April 8, 2009).

The mound on the horizon in the upper left is informally called 'Von Braun' and is one of the features that rover team has designated as a possible investigation site in future months. From the location where Spirit was when the image was taken, Von Braun is about 525 feet, or 160 meters, away.

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Ground crews begin towing Space Shuttle Atlantis from the main runway at Edwards Air Force Base following its landing May 24, 2009, which concluded the STS-125 mission to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.

posted by Nature Gift @ 5:49 AM permanent link   |

The crew of space shuttle Atlantis gathered on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base at the successful conclusion of the STS-125 mission to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope, which lasted 13 days. From left are Mike Massimino, Greg Johnson, mission commander Scott Altman, Megan McArthur, John Grunsfeld, Andrew Feustel and Michael Good.

posted by Nature Gift @ 5:48 AM permanent link   |

Monday, May 25, 2009

Atlantis and the crew of the STS-125 mission landed safely in California at Edwards Air Force Base after completing the Hubble Servicing Mission on Sunday, May 24, 2009. The almost 5.3-million-mile mission included five spacewalks to repair and upgrade the world-famous observatory.

posted by Nature Gift @ 5:10 AM permanent link   |

The STS-125 crew aboard space shuttle Atlantis captured this still image of the Hubble Space Telescope as the two spacecraft begin their relative separation on May 19, 2009, after having been linked together for nearly a week. During the week, five spacewalks were performed to complete the final servicing mission to the telescope.

posted by Nature Gift @ 5:08 AM permanent link   |

The Hubble Space Telescope is pictured through an overhead window on the aft flight deck of the Earth-orbiting space shuttle Atlantis immediately prior to its release on flight day 9, May 19, 2009.

posted by Nature Gift @ 5:03 AM permanent link   |

Friday, May 22, 2009

Backdropped by the blackness of space and the thin line of Earth's atmosphere, space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay, Canadian-built remote manipulator system robotic arm, vertical stabilizer and orbital maneuvering system pods are featured in this image photographed by the STS-125 crew on flight day 10.

posted by Nature Gift @ 2:00 AM permanent link   |

STS-125 mission specialist John Grunsfeld uses a still camera at an overhead window on the aft flight deck of the Earth-orbiting space shuttle Atlantis to photograph the Hubble Space Telescope after its release from Atlantis’ remote manipulator system robotic arm.

posted by Nature Gift @ 1:58 AM permanent link   |

Thursday, May 21, 2009

The space shuttle Atlantis' remote manipulator system arm lifts the Hubble Space Telescope from the cargo bay and is moments away from releasing the orbital observatory to start it on its way back home to observe the universe, in this image taken on May 19, 2009.

posted by Nature Gift @ 6:12 AM permanent link   |

The STS-125 crew took a final look at the Hubble Space Telescope on May 19, 2009, prior to the telescopes's release following a full week's work. Atlantis' remote manipulator system arm, instrumental in last week's capture and the impending release of the giant orbital observatory, is at the right edge of the frame.

posted by Nature Gift @ 6:11 AM permanent link   |

Solar panels on the Hubble Space Telescope make for unique window shades in this scene photographed from the flight deck of the Earth-orbiting space shuttle Atlantis. This image was taken on flight day 5 of the 11-day mission to repair and upgrade Hubble.

posted by Nature Gift @ 6:09 AM permanent link   |

Astronaut John Grunsfeld, positioned on a foot restraint on the end of Atlantis' remote manipulator system, participated in the mission's fifth and final spacewalk as work continued to refurbish and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. During the seven-hour spacewalk, Grunsfeld and astronaut Andrew Feustel (out of frame) installed a battery group replacement, removed and replaced a fine guidance sensor and three thermal blankets that protect Hubble's electronics.

posted by Nature Gift @ 6:04 AM permanent link   |

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Astronauts Michael Good (bottom) and Mike Massimino participate in the STS-125 mission's fourth spacewalk on May 17, 2009, as work continued to refurbish and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. During more than 8 hours of work, Massimino and Good conducted repairs and improvements to the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph that will extend Hubble's life into the next decade.

posted by Nature Gift @ 12:39 AM permanent link   |

With a mostly dark home planet behind him, astronaut Michael Good rides Atlantis' remote manipulator system arm to the exact position he needs to be to continue work on the Hubble Space Telescope on the STS-125 mission's fourth spacewalk on May 17, 2009.

posted by Nature Gift @ 12:37 AM permanent link   |

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Astronaut John Grunsfeld performs work on the Hubble Space Telescope as the first of five STS-125 spacewalks kicks off a week's worth of work on the orbiting observatory. Grunsfeld, a spacewalk veteran who previously worked on the telescope, will participate in two of the remaining four sessions of extravehicular activity later in the mission.

posted by Nature Gift @ 12:25 AM permanent link   |

In this tightly cropped image, the NASA space shuttle Atlantis is seen in silhouette during solar transit, Tuesday, May 12, 2009, from Florida. This image was made before Atlantis and the crew of STS-125 had grappled the Hubble Space Telescope.

The phtographer made this image using a solar-filtered Takahashi 5-inch refracting telescope and a Canon 5D Mark II digital camera.

posted by Nature Gift @ 12:23 AM permanent link   |

Friday, May 15, 2009

The Hubble Space Telescope stands tall in the cargo bay of the space shuttle Atlantis following its capture on Wednesday, May 13, 2009. The STS-125 mission began a series of spacewalks the following day to service Hubble. Over 11 days and five spacewalks, Atlantis' crew will make repairs and upgrades to the telescope, leaving it better than ever and ready for another five years--or more--of research.

posted by Nature Gift @ 4:34 AM permanent link   |

STS-125 mission specialist Michael Good is busy on Atlantis' middeck during his second day in space. The mission promises to be very busy for the entire crew, as five spacewalks, two of which will have Good leaving the shirt-sleeved environment of the shuttle to perform work on the Hubble Space Telescope, are in the offing. Fellow astronaut Mike Massimino is in the foreground.

posted by Nature Gift @ 4:33 AM permanent link   |

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

The launch of space shuttle Atlantis from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is viewed from behind Launch Pad 39B. On pad 39B is space shuttle Endeavour. Atlantis' 11-day flight will include five spacewalks to refurbish and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope with state-of-the-art science instruments that will expand the telescope's capabilities and extend its operational lifespan through at least 2014. The payload includes the Wide Field Camera 3, Fine Guidance Sensor and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph.

posted by Nature Gift @ 11:26 PM permanent link   |

NASA Shuttle Launch Director Michael Leinbach shows his lucky silver bullet while in firing room #4 of the NASA Kennedy Space Center, Launch Control Center, Monday, May 11, 2009, at Cape Canaveral, Fla. Leinbach carries the inert silver bullet as a good luck charm. Space shuttle Atlantis with its seven-member crew launched at 2:01 p.m. EDT Monday from Kennedy on the final Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission.

posted by Nature Gift @ 11:24 PM permanent link   |

Under a dry, hot, cloud-washed Florida sky, space shuttle Atlantis roars off Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida with its crew of seven for a rendezvous with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The launch was on time at 2:01 p.m. EDT. Atlantis' 11-day flight will include five spacewalks to refurbish and upgrade the telescope with state-of-the-art science instruments that will expand Hubble's capabilities and extend its operational lifespan through at least 2014. The payload includes the Wide Field Camera 3, fine guidance sensor and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph.

posted by Nature Gift @ 12:45 AM permanent link   |