HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE STATUS REPORT

The new science instruments and other hardware on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) are performing well. Science assessment observations have been taken with the Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) Charged Couple Devices (CCD). The observations cover a number of different astronomical targets and demonstrate the on-orbit performance of the new instruments. Excellent results are being obtained and some of the images will be released during a press conference in May.

It appears that the NICMOS dewar is rebounding. Focus tests performed since March show that the inner dewar was moving out, and that a maximum excursion was reached by the end of the month. Since then, there has been a steady rebound, bringing camera 3 closer to where it can be focused. The focus has moved back about a third of the required distance. It is not known whether the rebound will sufficiently restore full utilization of camera 3. Cameras 1 and 2 have remained fully functional throughout this period.

Engineers have successfully commissioned the STIS CCD for science imaging. STIS CCD science programs are now available for scheduling with the telescope. The flight software updates for the STIS Multi-Anode Microchannel Array (MAMA) detectors were successfully tested on the ground and uplinked to the spacecraft. The MAMAs are now ready to be turned on and operated on-orbit for the first time. Their performance will be carefully monitored and validated, and SMOV activities for the MAMAs will continue during the week of May 19.

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Engineers are pleased with Hubble's other hardware. The refurbished Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS) is outperforming the current FGS's on Hubble. The FGS installed during the servicing mission is different because it has a mechanism that allows better focusing. One of the spare gyroscopes was activated and is performing nominally. HST is now operating with four gyroscopes, which provides an extra margin of safety for the telescope.

During the servicing mission, one of the original science and engineering tape recorders was replaced with a solid state recorder (SSR). This device can store ten times more data and is more flexible than the old recorder. The SSR has significantly improved the way data are stored on-board HST and the handling of large data packets produced by NICMOS and STIS.

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