Astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis conducted five spacewalks over five days to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope, adding 5 to 10 more years to its lifetime. They performed tasks like replacing batteries and gyroscopes. Photos from the mission show astronauts working on Hubble and conducting spacewalks while attached to the shuttle's robotic arm. Scientists hope to begin receiving new data from the upgraded Hubble by early September.
2. Atlantis astronauts carried out five back-to-back spacewalks to fix
and upgrade the 19-year-old Hubble Space Telescope, adding five
to 10 years to Hubble's the observatory's lifetime. Scientists hope
to begin beaming back the results by early September.
3. This image taken from the Space
Shuttle Atlantis shows a high oblique
scene looking toward the Red Sea, Sinai
Peninsula and the Mediterranean Sea.
4. The Hubble Space Telescope in the cargo bay following its capture.
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7. This photo taken from the ground using a telescope with a solar filter shows Atlantis in
silhouette during solar transit, Tuesday, May 12, 2009.
17. Mike Massimino is photographed Sunday, May 17, 2009 during the mission's fourth session of
extravehicular activity.
18. John Grunsfeld positioned on a foot restraint on the end of Atlantis' remote manipulator
system, participates in the mission's fifth and final session of extravehicular activity.
19. The Hubble Space Telescope is seen from the Space Shuttle Atlantis as the two spacecraft
continue their relative separation.
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22. Atlantis is backdropped by the blackness of space and the thin line of Earth's atmosphere
Wednesday, May 20, 2009.
23. Solar panels on the Hubble Space Telescope are seen through windows on the Atlantis flight
deck.
24. A view of NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center provided by one of the crew members on space
shuttle Atlantis.
25. Crew members for the STS-125 mission, from top left: Michael Good, Mike Massimino, John
Grunsfeld and Andrew Feustel, and bottom from left: Gregory C. Johnson, Scott Altman and
Megan McArthur.