Work on Hubble Scope Called Success

Space shuttle Columbia’s astronauts set the Hubble Space Telescope free Saturday to behold the universe with sharper eyes and renewed energy, ending NASA’s most challenging service call.

“Good luck, Mr. Hubble,” John Grunsfeld, the chief repairman, said as the telescope drifted off.

Columbia’s crane operator, Nancy Currie, released the observatory from the end of the robot arm more than 360 miles above the Atlantic. The shuttle backed away, providing the world with its last close-up look at Hubble until astronauts return for another overhaul in two years.

An hour later, flight controllers in Houston caught a glimpse of the twinkling spacecraft.

“It was a very stirring sight to go out in the parking lot and to see Columbia fly overhead with Hubble in trail,” said Hubble program manager Preston Burch.

In a record-tying five spacewalks, Columbia’s astronauts outfitted Hubble with smaller but more powerful solar wings, a more robust central power controller, a pointing mechanism, an advanced camera for peering deeper than ever into the universe, and a super-cold refrigerator for resuscitating a disabled infrared camera.

More nerve-racking than any single repair--on any of the four servicing missions--was the complete shutdown of the $2 billion-plus telescope. It was the first blackout in Hubble’s 12 years in orbit, required for the power controller replacement. Everything came back on when power was restored.

Columbia’s seven astronauts, who are due back on Earth on Tuesday, fielded congratulations from their colleagues on Earth-- and from another space voyager.

“We’ve been following you along and sounds like you guys are batting 1,000%,” international space station resident Daniel Bursch radioed.