May 14th, 2009 On Monday, May 11, the Atlantis Space Shuttle blasted off on the last mission to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) with a crew of seven astronauts who will install a new science computer to replace one that failed in September after 19 years, as well as a telemetry module and the Wide Field Camera III, among a number of other tasks. These three essential items to the continued productivity of the HST were designed and built by Dr. Edward Cheung, an electrical engineer specializing in robotics, and Principle Engineer of the HST Service Project; a native son of Aruba.
Dr. Cheung is has been sharing his eye witness accounts of the mission and its progress on a daily basis with reporter Rosalie Klein, family and friends, and he has kindly agreed to allow his accounts to be placed on Aruba.com. Readers will find they best inform as to the actual events, as well as providing his touching emotional involvement in being a part of seeing history made and opening areas of the universe never seen before to scientific observation.
Prior to launching, Dr. Cheung wrote:
“It has been several months since my previous launch update in October 2008, and a lot has happened since then. About two weeks before our previous launch, we had a malfunction on Hubble in space. The central science instrument computer failed. Without this unit, we would be unable to do any science observations. The original unit had been operating flawlessly for 18 years since the release of Hubble. We switched over to the backup unit, but conversations started immediately on what to do about this problem. The NASA Administrator decided that it was not acceptable to leave Hubble without a backup, and the mission was put on hold. This decision stunned many at the time (including the astronauts that would fly, and myself), but it has proven to be the absolutely correct response now that we can look back on it.”
“This will be our final visit to Hubble, and my final Shuttle mission. As I have been visiting these facilities here for the final time these past few days, I do so with a sense of bittersweet happiness. It has been a great privilege to be part of this team, and to have access to these facilities, and my team members and I have enjoyed our work. Many of us cannot help but feel that this will be the highpoint of our careers and our personal experiences.”
Regarding Monday’s launch:
“It has been 7 years since I saw a Shuttle launch, and it is just amazing! We (his wife Agnes and two children, plus guests) had a good view from the Causeway, and we were looking straight down the tail of the Orbiter. We could see the entire stack, including the MLP, and the flame trench.
Upon ignition, you only see the big white cloud of exhaust, but slowly the Shuttle rises above it. Then, the exhaust flames come into view as a super BRIGHT flash. The crowd erupts with this reveal with spontaneous emotion and cheering. The Shuttle continues to climb silently and steadily with a bright red rooster tail.”
“Once the Shuttle is about 40 degrees in elevation, the sound finally hits you. It is like a raucous rattle that shakes your body. From 6 miles away, you can sense its POWER. The main engines and the solids shall not be denied. Unexpectedly, I shed major tears. I will never see my WFC3 instrument again. I feel like a parent sending his child into the world to do its intended thing, never to see it again. I worked on this instrument for 8 years. I know every connector, cable, box, pin and wire tie.”
“My last Shuttle mission; and I shall miss KSC, the Shuttle, and everything about it. Now it is time to go to Houston, and set to work on Hubble”
The work will soon begin as astronauts lead by Commander Scott Altman approach HST. Aruba.com will continue to provide daily eyewitness updates from Dr. Cheung as the astronauts complete their twelve-day mission.
Story by Rosalie Klein
