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ARUBA


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Installation onto HST


Photo of the astronaut about to mate the power cable from HST onto ARUBA. 
He has already removed the cap protecting the location, and is holding
the connector in his right hand.  This photo shot during orbital night.
During the mate, 'ARUBA' was mentioned several times, marking this
as the first time our island's name is mentioned in space!


 
Youtube Link.  Other formats: MP4, Windows Media, RealPlayer.
Edit courtesy of Peter Cheung.

This was shot at MET: 7/01:09:18 or
GMT: 2002/67/12:31:18 or
March 8, 2002 7:31 EST


Now in the day time, view of the radiator mounted on HST.  Note the starboard wing of the Orbiter in the
left of the image.  The ARUBA is the small white box on the radiator with the black spots.  I was able to
follow the complete installation LIVE.


Wider shot of the ARUBA and radiator on HST.  Note again the starboard wing in plain sight,
and the open Cargo Bay door.  You can also see the hands and arms of the astronaut on the bottom.
These images are from the helmet camera of the astronaut.  The ARUBA will stay on the outside of HST.


Wider shot of the radiator and ARUBA on the Telescope.  The ARUBA is the small white box
with the two black dots on the upper part of the radiator, close to the astronaut's knees.


The finished installation of the radiator onto the HST.  Earth is the dramatic backdrop for this picture.  Shot by one of
the astronauts with the Electronic Still Camera.  Compare this image with this one.

The NCS and the ARUBA passed their Alivenes and Functional Tests.  We look forward to many years of service from this system.  Since the radiator is hung on the handrails only, it does not represent a very strong attachment mechanism.  As a result, if HST is ever brought home, the radiator and ARUBA will have to be jettisoned into space.  After several years, they would then burn up in the atmosphere.  This means that I'll never see the ARUBA (box) again, and that it will remain in space forever.
  

2009 update.  During SM4, the final mission to service Hubble, we flew a stereo IMAX camera, which capture lots of high resolution imagery of the ARUBA on Hubble.  We had been in space for many years by then, but the unit was still operating as when it was installed by John Grunsfeld.

Arrival at Hubble during SM-4 

close up of ARUBA

View of Hubble from the IMAX camera just prior to grapple.  The location of the ARUBA is shown here.  I knew during development that 

the ARUBA would be facing forward towards the crew cabin during berth, and that we would get a great view on subsequent visits.

HST doors open

View during the servicing of the gyros deep inside HST.

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November 2013 update.  The astronaut trainer (seen here) that was used at the Johnson Space Center was transferred to the 

Wings of Dreams Aviation Museum.  It is nice to know that it will be saved for display and to educate the public about Hubble.  

The ARUBA box is circled in red below.

Keystone Museum

URL of the original story.

Archived story.

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June 2018 Update


At the Atlantis exhibit at the Kennedy Space Center, they included a full-sized mockup of the Hubble and it also has an ARUBA box.
It is right near my chest/heart in this picture.
(May 2018)

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