STS-109

[3] Initially designed to operate for 15 years, plans for periodic service and refurbishment were incorporated into its mission from the start.

[4] After the successful completion of the second planned service mission (SM2) by the crew of STS-82 in February 1997, three of the telescope's six gyroscopes failed.

The STS-109 astronauts performed a total of five spacewalks in five consecutive days to service and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.

Columbia made its twenty-seventh and last successful landing at Kennedy Space Center, as on its next mission, STS-107, it disintegrated on re-entry, killing all aboard.

This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Hubble Space Telescope sporting new solar arrays during SM3B.
Hubble Space Telescope after servicing by the crew of STS-109
Space shuttle Columbia launches on mission STS-109.
STS-109 Launch (March 1, 2002)
Astronauts remove the FOC to make room for the ACS
Hubble on the payload bay just prior to being released by the STS-109 crew.