Since 2007, Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) scientists and engineers on Maui have captured images of the Hubble Space Telescope for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in preparation for the recently completed Servicing Mission 4.
This was the final servicing mission where the astronauts repaired everything necessary to extend the satellite's life at least through 2014 to include installing updated cameras and other science equipment.
To better understand Hubble's exterior condition, NASA requested support from the Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing Site (AMOS) to collect highly resolved imagery utilizing the state-of-the-art telescopes available on Maui. Data packages containing still frames, movies, and presentations were delivered for NASA scientists and engineers to analyze. The highly resolved images of both the space shuttle Atlantis and the Hubble Space Telescope were processed through an AFRL-developed algorithm known as Physically Constrained Iterative Deconvolution (PCID) algorithm, allowing as much detail extraction as possible.
The shuttle astronauts viewed the current imagery of Hubble prior to their launch into space, which afforded them a better understanding of what to expect once their repair mission was underway. This collaboration helped establish the mission manifest priorities important to a successful servicing operation and solidified a strong working relationship between NASA and AMOS for the future. The opticalsite on Maui has since contributed imagery and information for other NASA missions.
The 3.6-meter AEOS (Advanced Electro-Optical System) telescope, which is the largest optical telescope in the Department of Defense designed for tracking satellites, was used to collect imagery on Hubble throughout the mission. Gemini, the daytime imaging sensor located on the 1.6-meter telescope, obtained imagery on the space shuttle while attached to Hubble. Both telescopes are part of the Maui Space Surveillance Complex at 10,000 feet above sea level on the summit of Mount Haleakala on Maui.
The Hubble Telescope was launched April 25, 1990, to observe space and deep space in a capacity that telescopes on Earth could not achieve. This May, NASA's astronauts completed Hubble's fifth and final servicing mission. After nearly 13 days in space, the shuttle crew completed their mission and landed safely on Earth on May 24. More information on Hubble can be found at www.nasa.gov. Though the shuttle is not planned to visit the Hubble Telescope again, AMOS will continue to provide support to NASA as it carries out Hubble's ongoing mission.
AMOS includes the Maui Space Surveillance Complex (MSSC) and the Maui High Performance Computing Center (MHPCC). MSSC consists of multiple telescopes located on the top of Haleakala at an altitude of 10,000 feet, providing superior viewing conditions for research and development. MHPCC is located at sea level and houses highly powerful computer systems for the Department of Defense.
More information can be found at http://www.maui.afmc.af.mil.
