The water helps to recreate the feel of being in space. They wear special underwater space suits and float around a model of the telescope, practicing their mission. The mission was troubled by shuttle delays, but the astronauts finally docked with HST and replaced all six gyroscopes. They also upgraded the main computer system and covered the telescope with some new insulation to help keep it safe.
Because the Hubble Space Telescope was designed for periodic servicing, the items to be replaced are easily accessible. The items range in size from a shoebox to a telephone booth. Most of these items can be removed or installed using special wrenches and power tools.
Initially Hubble cost $1.5 billion to build and put into orbit, and its total budget in one year is in the range of 230 to 250 million dollars. But that money does more than simply keep Hubble operating on a daily basis. It also includes funds for scientific data analysis, as well as for the development of future hardware and its associated software. More importantly, though, it provides us with images and knowledge of the universe around us. That data is simply priceless!
