Astronauts reunite for a bold mission

In order to extend the life of The Hubble Space Telescope, that helped the Earth see an overwhelming universe of star births and colliding galaxies, NASA announced Tuesday that it would send space shuttle astronauts in 2008 to repair and upgrade the flying observatory. The mission was earlier thought to be too risky to attempt.

Astronauts admit that the mission is really important and they would not hesitate to put their lives in hazard for it. “I feel like a mission to Hubble is worth risking my life for," said John Grunsfeld, an astrophysicist who is headed back to the Hubble as a spacewalking repairman for the third time. "This is really important for our country."

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin counteracted the previous NASA chief, who chose to let the orbiting telescope die because of safety concerns for astronauts after the shuttle Columbia disaster. Griffin said the benefits of saving the celebrated, 16-year-old telescope were worth the added risks of sending astronauts to do the job.

Griffin announced Tuesday that the space-agency plans to spend $900 million, the cost anticipated for the 11-day Hubble mission that will take place sometime between the spring and fall of 2008, after years of debate about the risks.

After the repairs the shuttle should continue operating until at least 2013, without which it will die in the coming 2-3 years.

"While there is an inherent risk in all spaceflight activities, the desire to preserve a truly international asset like the Hubble Space Telescope makes doing this mission the right course of action," Griffin said.

Six shuttle astronauts will accompany Grunsfeld to the voyage including Mike Massimino, a fellow spacewalker on the most recent refurbishment mission in 2002, and shuttle commander Scott Altman.

"I was very excited when I was assigned to my first flight to Hubble," Massimino, a mechanical engineer, said at Johnson Space Center. "But I think I'm more excited this time because I know what is ahead of us. The opportunity to fly in space, view the Earth and work on Hubble is an extraordinary privilege. It was the highlight of my professional career last time."