STS-125 one for the History Books

It seems like space exploration and eventual colonization of Mars are something I've always been passionate about. In fact the genesis of that passion started around the time I was about 13 years old, in 1993. On December 2, 1993 the shuttle mission STS-61 launched from Cape Canaveral, FL on what would become known as "Hubble Servicing Mission 1."  The much publicized mission's ultimate task was to install what were effectively contact lenses for the Hubble Space Telescope's flawed mirror which had been returning blurry images since it's original launch in 1990.  For me this mission was my moon landing. 

I can remember being engrossed in the coverage of the space walks on STS-61 and the antics of one space walking Story Musgrave, to this day probably my favorite Shuttle Program astronaut.  Eventually I would go to space camp and become much more aware of the early space program, Apollo, and the greats like Shepard, Glenn, etc.  Ultimately though it all traces back to those first Hubble missions where nothing even close had been attempted in the history of manned space flight or space walking.  The sight of the Hubble Space Telescope towering out of the Shuttle's payload bay in an era where there was no space station was truly a unique frankly awe inspiring sight. One which, with the successful launch of STS-125 in a few hours, we will soon witness once again. 

It's interesting that for as unique as the first Hubble servicing mission was in 1993 STS-125 is perhaps even more unique in the climate of the shuttle program as it exists in 2009.  Why though?  Well for several reasons but perhaps the biggest of them is that STS-125 is likely to be the ONLY mission post-Columbia Disaster in 2003 that does not travel to the space station.  There's a generation of school kids growing up today that have never known a space program without a space station.  With the tragic loss of Columbia in 2003 for the last six years every shuttle flight until STS-125 has flown to the Space Station and docked with it.

In addition to the fact that STS-125 is the first free standing shuttle mission in six years it is also the FIRST shuttle mission ever to launch with a dedicated "rescue Shuttle" on the pad and ready to launch within three days if needed.  I encourage everyone to take a look on NASA's site and check out some of the pictures of the shuttles on both pads, it's something that's occurred only a hand full of times in the shuttle program.  The concept of a rescue shuttle is unique in the Shuttle Program and unique to STS-125 because there is no "safe haven" of the Space Station.  In addition to which the Columbia Accident Investigation Board also stated that without a rescue shuttle on stand-by a free standing shuttle mission would have an unacceptable amount of risk.  Watching the launch coverage today it's had to even imagine what the rescue would look like.  Certainly it would be something that's never been tried before and no one really wants to see tried. The shuttles were obviously never designed to be "docked" and then the crews would actually space walk between the two shuttle hatches in EVA suits...yeah exactly. 

I don't think the complexity of the tasks being performed on the Hubble service space walks can in anyway understated.  Once again in 2009 we take the idea of a space walk for granted.  I can't remember a recent mission to the Space Station that hasn't involved numerous space walks.  There's a big difference between a space station space walk and a Hubble space walk. Why? Well because for the most part the vast majority of hardware being worked or installed, etc., on at the space station are designed to be serviced in space by space walkers. The Hubble? Not so much much of the space walk will involve working on parts and hardware that were never designed to be serviced on orbit by astronauts in micro gravity with bulky space suits, etc.

Bottom line here is that with nine, counting this mission, shuttle missions left you simply won't see another shuttle mission like STS-125 again, ever.  With any luck after STS-125 is completed successfully we'll be treated to at least another ten years of discoveries from Hubble that will continue to challenge our perception of who we are and what our place in the universe and the last twenty years of Hubble have done nothing less than that. 

God Speed Atlantis, STS-125, and Hubble!