Smile! Astronauts Fix Broken Hubble Cam

Spacewalking astronauts gave the Hubble Space Telescope a more commanding view of the cosmos by installing a new high-tech instrument today, then pulled off their toughest job yet: fixing a broken camera. It was the third spacewalk in as many days for the shuttle Atlantis crew, and it was the most intricate ever performed because of the unprecedented camera repairs.

Astronauts had never before tried to take apart a science instrument at the 19-year-old observatory. Hubble's chief mechanic, John Grunsfeld, deftly opened the burned-out camera and plucked out all four electronic cards that needed to be replaced. To everyone's surprise, the new cards and power supply pack went in just as smoothly. For a change, the astronauts ran ahead of schedule and finished in the allotted 6 1/2 hours. (More Hubble Space Telescope stories.)