Spacewalkers Rehearse for Future Telescope Repair Job

A spacewalking astronaut forced two high-tech satellite antennas shut with old-fashioned muscle power Friday and then twirled his partner in a rehearsal for NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope repair mission.

Spacewalkers G. David Low and Peter (Jeff) Wisoff looked as though they were dancing on the end of Endeavour’s 50-foot robot arm. Low led; he lifted Wisoff and swung him from side to side to show what it would be like to handle and install a new Hubble camera.

Low’s feet were strapped to the shuttle’s robot arm, which hovered over the cargo bay and was operated from inside the cockpit by astronaut Nancy Sherlock. The men were tethered to one another.

Before practicing this and other techniques planned for the December repair mission--their original spacewalking job--Low and Wisoff had to secure two loose antennas on the European Space Agency’s retrievable science satellite, called Eureca.

The seven-foot boom antennas failed to retract fully during Thursday’s rendezvous and capture by the crew. NASA wanted them latched, if possible, for Tuesday’s return to Earth.

It took three tries to get the first antenna fastened. Low, perched on the robot arm, pushed several times before the antenna locked into place. He had to be careful not to touch the electrically charged portion of the satellite’s folded solar panels.

Eureca controllers in Germany fired the latches by remote control as Low shoved against the antenna.

“I think you’re getting your isometrics in for the day,” Wisoff said.

Low pushed just once to latch the second antenna, located on the other side of the berthed 4 1/2-ton satellite.

“We have declared victory,” Mission Control’s Carl Meade said. “Both of the antennas are now latched.”

Because of the antenna work, the spacewalk lasted nearly six hours, forcing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to cut some Hubble exercises. Flight director Gary Coen said stowing the antennas was a higher priority than completing the other tasks.

The spacewalkers had little time to spare during the Hubble repair rehearsal. After Low released Wisoff and stepped off the robot arm, Wisoff hopped on and practiced torquing bolts with a large wrench. They compared their various tethers for ease of movement.

NASA will use what’s learned to better prepare the four spacewalkers who will try to fix Hubble’s flawed mirror and replace its wobbly solar panels and failed gyroscopes. A record five and possibly seven spacewalks are planned during that 11-day mission--Endeavour’s next flight.