HUBBLE REPAIR MISSION

NASA has finally successfully launched the space shuttle Discovery from Cape Canaveral on 19 December.  The last space launch of '99 has been delayed nine times but is now on its eight day journey to repair the broken Hubble Space Telescope (HST).  This is the most delays experienced in 18.5 years of space shuttle flight.  The $3 billion HST is costing tax payers $25 million a month to operate whether its operational or not and with three spacewalks involved, this is a very important mission to test NASA's capabilities. 

The HST has been closed since 13 November 1999 when the fourth of six gyroscopes failed and all observations ceased. The seven astronauts will together have to install six new gyroscopes to steady the telescope for precision pointing, and also put in a new computer, data recorder, radio transmitter and fix thermal wrapping on the peeling 9.5 year-old telescope.

The original launch date in October has repeatedly been set back due to a large array of technical problems with the spacecraft.  Despite all previous problems shuttle manager Donald McMonagle said, "We have what I believe is a darn near perfect vehicle on orbit right now, things are going extremely well. We have a vehicle that has absolutely no anomalies, not a single one. We couldn't ask for a more perfect vehicle and a more perfect scenario to execute this mission ".  However t here have been problems with wiring, a contaminated engine, dented fuel pipes and welding concerns.  These problems have caused concerns not only with the "Better, Faster, Cheaper" methodology but also with the impending Y2K deadline.  NASA doesn't want any humans in space when the clock ticks over so the mission managers have been under extreme pressure to get a "go " for launch.  In 38 years of human space flight, NASA has only ever flown two missions over the Christmas period.  The Apollo 8 mission in 1968 to put humans on the Moon and an important Skylab mission in 1973 to the manned Mir Space Station.  So what makes this mission so important to justify NASA paying over 300 workers overtime rates to give up their Christmas holidays?

Shuttle program manager Ron Dittemore said workers are not happy because their holidays have been ruined, not that they feel rushed.  He also said, "...we're going to do it, and the cost is the cost and that's the way it is".  It seems NASA has realised they can't have better, faster and cheaper missions, so have suddenly adopted the "Better, Faster" approach.

This has been NASA's slowest year for launches since flights resumed in 1988 following the Challenger disaster.  Lets hope serious lessons have been learnt.