STS-61
Mission / eventCompleted
Five spacewalks repair, upgrade, and optically correct Hubble
STS-61 was the first Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission and one of the Shuttle era's most complex flights. During five consecutive totaling more than 35 hours, Endeavour's crew installed corrective optics and a new camera, replaced solar arrays, gyroscopes, electronics, and other hardware, then redeployed an observatory capable of delivering its intended sharp images.
Mission photo archive
Reviewed photographs documenting STS-61. Every image links to its official NASA catalog record.
STS-61 official archive image
Official NASA archive imagery explicitly cataloged for STS-61.
Astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman with WF/PC during third STS-61 EVA
STS061-77-094 (7 Dec 1993) --- Astronaut Jeffrey A. Hoffman, anchored to the end of the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm, prepares to stow the Wide Field\Planetary Camera (WF\PC I) for the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), during their extravehicular activity (EVA). Astronaut F. Story Musgrave, stationed at the stowage area at bottom of frame, assists. WF/PC II is in place on the HST.
Landing of STS-61 Shuttle Endeavour at Kennedy Space Center
STS061-S-071 (13 Dec 1993) --- A rear view of the Space Shuttle Endeavour as it touches down on the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), at 05:25:57:27 GMT (12:26 a.m. EST) December 13, 1993. Onboard the spacecraft were Richard O. Covey, mission commander; Kenneth D. Bowersox, pilot; mission specialists Thomas D. Akers; Jeffrey A. Hoffman; F. Story Musgrave; Kathryn C. Thornton and Swiss scientist Claude Nicollier. This is the second night landing at KSC in the history of the Shuttle Program.
Launch record
Explore this mission’s launch, including its vehicle, launch site, payload, and outcome.
OV-105 HST mission
launch attemptOrbital attemptcompletedNo reviewed launch image8 connectionsMission dossier
Flight profile, locations, hardware, and outcome in the same reference format used throughout the archive.
Flight profile
Places and recovery
Mission record
- EVAs
- 5[1]
- Mission type
- Hubble Space Telescope servicing[1]
- Vehicle
- STS-61 flight stack[1]
- Orbiter
- Space Shuttle Endeavour (OV-105)[1]
- Crew and station travelers
- 7[1]
Trajectory profile
2 sourcesFollow the mission from departure through its flight environment, destination, and final phase. This sequence is not a scale orbital plot.
Mission locations
2 sourcesDocumented surface, test, landing, and recovery locations. Map links use the cited place name or exact coordinates; AstronautAtlas does not geocode or estimate missing positions.
Departure or test site
Launch site
Kennedy Space Center, Launch Complex 39B
Landing site
Landing site
Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility, Runway 33
Assignment Manifest
The flight crew and the backup team assigned to train for this mission.
Prime crew
7 assignmentsMission Purpose
2 sources- with and capture the Hubble Space Telescope.
- Install corrective optics and replacement hardware to restore Hubble's observing capability.
- Conduct five to replace gyroscopes, solar arrays, electronics, and science/optics hardware.
- Release Hubble back into orbit for resumed science operations.
Planned Flight Plan
2 sources- Launch
Servicing mission begins
Endeavour launched from Kennedy Space Center carrying Hubble servicing hardware and a seven-person repair crew.
- Rendezvous
Hubble capture
The crew maneuvered Endeavour near Hubble, captured the telescope with the robot arm, and secured it in the payload bay.
- Servicing phase
Five repair campaign
EVA teams installed corrective optics, replaced solar arrays and gyroscope hardware, and upgraded observatory systems.
- Release
Hubble returned to orbit
The crew released Hubble after servicing and prepared Endeavour for landing.
Mission Timeline
2 sources- December 2, 1993
Launch
Endeavour began the first Hubble servicing mission.
- December 4, 1993
Hubble captured
Claude Nicollier grappled and berthed the observatory with Canadarm.
- December 5–9, 1993
Five servicing
Two alternating teams repaired, upgraded, and optically corrected the telescope.
- December 10, 1993
Hubble redeployed
The corrected observatory returned to independent flight before Endeavour landed December 13.