HEIC9908

News release:
ESA's Hubble duo back on Earth after successful servicing mission

28-Dec-1999: ESA astronauts Claude Nicollier and Jean-Frangois Clervoy and their 
five fellow crew members on the Space Shuttle Discovery returned to Earth today 
(28 December at 0001 GMT) after a spectacular mission to service the Hubble 
Space Telescope.

European astronomers breathed a collective sigh of relief as the giant orbiting observatory 
was gently returned to orbit at the end of the busy eight-day mission.

During the flight, Nicollier became the first European astronaut to walk in space from the 
Shuttle as he worked with British-born astronaut Michael Foale on a six-hour stint in space. 
On the second of three EVA days, Nicollier and Foale successfully replaced the telescope's 
computer, dramatically increasing Hubble's capabilities and significantly cutting operational 
costs.

Clervoy, the mission flight engineer, proved his expertise as the main operator of the 
Shuttle's robotic arm providing the platform used during the space walks to manoeuvre 
astronauts around the telescope in the orbiter's payload bay.

The mission's prime objective was to replace the telescope's six gyroscopes (three of which 
must be working to meet the telescope's very precise pointing requirements). Since 
November, the telescope has not been operating, after a fourth gyroscope failed. The 
telescope will be tested over the next two or three weeks.

As well as replacing all the telescope's gyros, the crew also replaced other equipment on 
Hubble that had either degraded in the harsh space environment or could be replaced with 
more up-to-date technology.

# # #


For more information, please contact:
ESA Public Relations Division
Tel: +33(0)1.53.69.7155
Fax: +33(0)1.53.69.7690
1

1