Welcome back, Atlantis!

This is not completely relevant to chemistry, but is definitely of interest to the scientific community. On May 11, 2009, some of us astronomy fans and zealots gathered around to watch the launch of Atlantis STS-125. For those who are unfamiliar with it, this was a servicing mission in attempt to extend the Hubble ST’s life for the one last time. After all the amazing images Hubble was able to capture, this one last stretch seemed well worth the try. The team completed 5 space walks while orbiting 350 miles (Really? Miles? We’ll talk about the unit system another day) above Earth.

The mission will entail five spacewalks and aims to increase the telescope’s capabilities by a factor of 90, according to panelist Sandra Faber, an astronomer at UC Santa Cruz. After the repairs and upgrades, “it’ll have the capability of 100 Hubbles,” said panelist and NASA Chief Scientist Alan Stern.[1]

Over the past two weeks, we followed their mission closely, whether it is at the comfort of our own home or out in the field with our makeshift telescope. We envy their opportunity to take the ride of a lifetime and amazed at their epic fine-motor skill inside a space bunny-suit (I can’t even do that in a glove box, whoops).

On Sunday, May 24, the crew of 7 touched down at the Edwards Air Force Base in California, after a 13-day mission. The astronauts, in my opinion, are heroes in every way that one would defines any other American heroes–firefighters, soldiers, teachers, etc. Their contribution to scientific advancements is clear, and the risks they take is significant and very real. Their dedication and enthusiasm are beautifully put by one of the astronauts:

When asked about the risks posed by the Hubble service mission, Astronaut Grunsfeld told Earth & Sky that, “I think the cause of science is something worth risking my life for. I’ve spent almost my entire adult life and most of my young life,” Grunsfeld added, “in the pursuit of scientific knowledge. And Hubble is almost an icon for the quest of scientific knowledge.”

Yep. We’ll toast to that. And welcome back to Earth!!

Noel

[1] Hubble worth the risk, says NASA astronaut

[2] NASA space shuttle page

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