Hugh Pickens writes "Space shuttle synonyms:


atlantis is slated to lift off Monday on the fifth and final trade mission to Hubble with four mission specialists alternating in two-astronaut teams will attempt a total of five spacewalks from Atlantis to replace broken components, add new science instruments, and swap out the telescope's six 125-pound (57-kilogram) batteries, genetic parts that have powered Hubble's night-side operational research for nearly two decades. "This is our final opening to service and upgrade Hubble," says David Leckrone, senior project rocket engineer for the Hubble Space Telescope. "So we're replacing some items that are getting long in the tooth to give Hubble longevity, and then we'll try to take vantage of that five- to 10-year extra time with the most mighty instrumental tools we've ever had on board." Some of the upgrades are rather straightforward and modular: yank out old part, put in new. But they're big parts: The "fine guidance sensors" sound subtle




synonym collection v1.1main entryelicate
part of speech:adjective
airy but weigh as much as a grand piano back on Earth. But what's unfamiliar this time is that the astronauts will also open up some instruments and root around inside, doing Geek Squad-like repairs while wearing bulky spacesuits and commercial traveler around the planet at 17,000 mph. "We have this choreographed almost down to the minute of what we want the crew to do. It's this really fine ballet," said Keith Walyus, the servicing mission management study manager at Goddard. "We've been teaching for this for seven years. We can't wait for this to happen.""

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

More: - Continued here

Mark