Dec 24 1999
From The Space Library
Astronauts Steven L. Smith and [[John M. Grunsfeld] completed the HST servicing mission, replacing a nonfunctioning radio transmitter and an outdated tape recorder. The spacewalk again exceeded 8 hours and, for the third time, ran behind schedule. As the pair prepared to begin their spacewalk, Grunsfeld encountered a mechanical problem with his suit and had to exchange it before exiting Discovery's airlock. Grunsfeld also faced the most difficult task, replacing the transmitter, which was not easy to service in space. The job required him to disconnect and reconnect a series of thin coaxial cables while wearing bulky pressurized gloves. NASA had designed a special tool for the job, but even so, the task required more than an hour, and Grunsfeld needed to stop to rest his hands. The eight-day repair flight had accomplished all of the mission's major objectives, although NASA cancelled a fourth spacewalk, preventing the astronauts from installing all six steel sunshades that protect HST from solar damage.
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