Hubble

The Hubble Space Telescope is about to get one last call. The risks have never been higher.
On Monday, astronauts will rocket away to the most famous telescope of modern times. They'll be taking up new scientific instruments. It is replacement parts for broken cameras and fresh batteries that should keep Hubble running for 5 to 10 years. This cosmic scale grand finale has stalled seven months by a telescope breakdown . It will be NASA's most daring mission yet of the 19 year old orbiting observatory. The observatory is very captivating. It also has twinkling jewel in the sky representing $10 billion of investment. It never happened before for spacewalking astronauts trying to fix dead science instruments on the Hubble. The equipment that was never meant to be handled in orbit. Before they've just traded out the whole thing at the telescope. Five spacewalks will be performed in as many days by two repair teams. Two of the repairmen have visited Hubble before. This is they were chosen for this difficult job on a par with operating room surgery. Hubble needs a hug. That's what the chief repairman said. He is John Grunsfeld. He will be making his third trip to the telescope. Space shuttle Atlantis and its crew of seven will face danger from space junk. This is because of Hubble's high and littered orbit 350 miles up. They will need someone to come and get them fast if their ship gets serious damage during launch or later in flight. They will not have the luxury of camping out at the international space station while awaiting rescue. The space station will be in another orbit and impossible to reach.