WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

The Payload is seen inside of the Bay just before the doors are closed for flight at Pad 39A Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Discovery, the orbiter for STS-82 mission is ready for the launch of the second Hubble Space Telescope service mission. The payload consists of the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) which will be installed, the Fine Guidance Sensor #1 (FGS-1), and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) to be installed. The STS-82 will launch with a crew of seven at 3:54 a.m. EST, February 11, 1997. The launch window is 65 minutes in duration. The Mission Commander for STS-82 is Ken Bowersox. The purpose of the mission is to upgrade the scientific capabilities, service or replace aging components on the Telescope and provide a reboost to the optimum altitude.