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CNN Live At Daybreak
Another Spacewalk Continues Work on Hubble
Aired March 05, 2002 - 06:24 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia is busy this hour working on improving the Hubble Space Telescope's vision. They've been at it -- at it for about five hours now.
And our space correspondent Miles O'Brien is here to tell us all about it. And, yes (ph)...
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT: And meanwhile, meanwhile, we've been working on improving our Hubble model. Maria, our floor director, conducted a brief extravehicular activity, that's NASA parlance for a spacewalk only we weren't in space,...
PHILLIPS: That's right. We had a broken solar panel.
O'BRIEN: ... and repaired our solar array. Interesting parallels to what's going on in space some 350 miles above us.
PHILLIPS: They were doing the same thing.
O'BRIEN: Thank you very much.
PHILLIPS: There you go.
O'BRIEN: That would be a parallel.
PHILLIPS: But Maria didn't have to worry about the big spacesuit.
O'BRIEN: That would be a parallel.
Let's look at some pictures, shall we, because that's all they want to see are the pictures because it's space and it's cool.
Take a look at these shots as you come down. This is a great shot here kind of a medium -- well actually, this is live. These are live pictures, folks. This is -- I believe that is Mike Massimino, and he is at the end of the shuttle's robotic arm there doing some work now on the reaction wheel assembly.
PHILLIPS: Now show me where he's attached, I still don't see it.
O'BRIEN: Yes, OK, here -- see this right...
PHILLIPS: Down at the feet.
O'BRIEN: See that right there?
PHILLIPS: Right.
O'BRIEN: Those are the attach points. And...
PHILLIPS: That keeps him from floating off into other parts of the world?
O'BRIEN: Yes, it's not unlike a ski binding, you know.
PHILLIPS: OK.
O'BRIEN: You can -- you can sort of kick in and kick out of them, that kind of thing,...
PHILLIPS: Right.
O'BRIEN: ... and gives them the capability of doing a lot more work. Because if he were to you know try to screw a bolt there and wasn't attached, he'd just go around and around and around like that. You've got to be attached somehow when you're up there in space. So that's what he's up to now.
Now this reaction wheel assembly is an important part of the whole big picture here, quite literally, because it allows the Hubble Space Telescope to aim precisely at targets. We're going to talk about that in just a minute.
Let's look at a few shots from earlier. The solar array, there it is. This is the outline of it right there, opens up like a book. And sure enough, when it was attached, it did just that. So far they've done some preliminary checks, everything's plugged in correctly, everything looks good.
Mike Massimino once again proving his mettle. This guy's a rookie, not just a rookie spacewalker, a rookie space traveler. And we have heard stories over the years about how difficult it is to adjust to space -- and leading between the lines there -- you know people get sick up there.
PHILLIPS: Well obviously he's so good.
O'BRIEN: We don't know.
Anyway, now check out Mike Massimino, this is his first moments in space. He's kind of flailing around there a little bit.
PHILLIPS: Well it takes a while, Miles, come on.
O'BRIEN: And I don't think he'd mind me saying that. Yes, I know. And check out, you can see his face there. He didn't look upset or anything, but you know, I think he's...
PHILLIPS: Maybe a little nervous. O'BRIEN: Well maybe a little bit. Just getting used to it, getting his space legs, if you will. As a matter of fact, we asked him before he left what might possibly be going through his mind at this moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE MASSIMINO, MISSION SPECIALIST: But I'm going to just try to rely on what I've learned and try to just take it slow and try to work myself into it. And then I'd try to gradually -- try to gradually work up to, you know, the realization of where I am and just kind of build up to myself feeling comfortable where I can maybe move a little bit with more authority. But I don't know, I think it's probably going to be one of those -- one of those experiences that it's just going to kind of be beyond my comprehension that, Holy cow, how did this ever happen?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Holy cow!
Let's look at some Hubble images briefly. These are some of the great images over time that have come from the Hubble Space Telescope showing distant galaxies, galaxies in their early stages, black holes, these pinwheel, showing the rotation of galaxies. There's a black hole right there. Proving beyond a shadow of a doubt black holes exist. Not only that, that they're ubiquitous. That was one of those serendipitous findings.
And this is the most famous and well you cut away. The deep field image is the most famous image of all. And basically what they did, Kyra, they pointed at a spot in the sky that appeared to have nothing in it, turned on the camera, opened up the lens for 10 days and they got this image which shows just a plethora -- ...
PHILLIPS: Is this it?
O'BRIEN: No, that's Mars.
PHILLIPS: OK.
O'BRIEN: ... but a plethora of stars and galaxies which just makes you wonder...
PHILLIPS: Wow!
O'BRIEN: ... about what's out there.
PHILLIPS: Yes, what's out there.
O'BRIEN: You know.
PHILLIPS: Absolutely fascinating.
O'BRIEN: So anyway, all that gyroscope they're attaching will help ensure that images like that will come down the pike for the next eight years or so.
PHILLIPS: Thank you, Miles.
O'BRIEN: Close the lid.
PHILLIPS: Close the lid.
O'BRIEN: Close the lid says Scott (ph). We're closing the lid.
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