On 1 March 2002, Space Shuttle Columbia lifted off at 5:22 AM CST (11:22 GMT) from Launch Complex 39A, at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This was to be Columbia's last successful flight. Due to safety concerns, STS-109 was also to be the final manned service mission (SM3B) to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). (Following the loss of STS-107 on 1 February 2003, it was decided that Shuttles would only fly to ISS) The Crew accomplished capture of HST on 3 March at 3:31 AM CST (9:31 GMT).

No less than five EVAs (Extra-Vehicular Activity or spacewalk), in five consecutive days, were carried out to repair and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. That's as heavy a schedule of EVAs as you'll ever see. The EVAs were mounted by two teams of Astronauts: John Grunsfeld - Richard Linnehan and James Newman - Michael Massimino. Astronaut Nancy Currie operated the Canadarm in support.

A number of new Hubble components were on the STS-109 Cargo manifest, for installation on the HST. The major work done on Hubble included installation of the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). This phone booth sized unit will, amongst other things, take part in the search for extra-solar planets. Hubble's two solar arrays were replaced, improving the telescope's ability to power itself. The Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) received a new cryocooler, capable of maintaining temperatures as low as -334°F (-203°C). A new Power Control Unit (PCU) was installed as an upgrade to the electrical system. Finally, a fourth Reaction Wheel Assembly (RWA) was added to the previous array of three, to increase the telescope's stability during long photographic exposures.

The Hubble Space Telescope was released back to orbit on 9 March at 4:04 AM CST (10:04 GMT). The mission had gone exactly as planned, and there were no glitches with the work on Hubble. Columbia flew solo for her last two days on orbit. A safe landing was accomplished on 12 March at 3:32 AM CST (9:32 GMT). STS-109 touched down at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility on Runway 33. Total flight duration: 10 days 22 hours 11 minutes.

During The Third EVA, a total of three anomalies appeared in less than three minutes. These anomalies, as a group, are what I call "The Big One".

The object we will deal with on this page was the first of them seen. (Hence the designation Pt.1) The other objects, all seen within mere moments of each other, are "STS-109 The Big One Pt.2 - The RIGHT-ANGLE Turn!" and "STS-109 The Big One Pt.3 - Yet Another Fast Object!".

As Astronaut John Grunsfeld was working on the internal components of HST, he was facing to the right of Columbia toward deep space. Very suddenly (Way too fast for the INCO to percieve and censor) an anomalous object came from beneath Columbia's right side, and streaked toward top screen at very high speed. It finally came to a complete STOP, reversed its course, and exited horizontally to the LEFT!

It also followed a curved trajectory, which tends to indicate that it was not ice or debris (understatement of the year!). The speed of this object is highly uncharacteristic of ice or debris as well. There was nothing to cause such acceleration and deceleration, let alone the right angle turn at the end. Even if the RCS were active, I'd like to see anyone explain how this object could have been bounced around in so many different directions like a pin ball between the bumpers!

During EVAs, the automatic RCS (Reaction Control System) is usually deactivated. Manual control of ship's attitude is preferred at these times. This is because when Astronauts are outside Shuttle, perched in delicate spots, it wouldn't do for the thruster rockets to give them an unexpected jolt at an inopportune moment. The same applies to exposed and delicate components of the Hubble.

What we have in this event is an object which performs maneuvers impossible for anything NASA or the debunkers might care to offer as an ordinary explanation.

Let us begin our visual presentation then. All photos and GIFs are taken from the original VHS tapes recorded "live" at the time from NASA Select TV.

In this frame, we can see Astronaut Richard Linnehan perched on the end of the Canadarm, along with his equipment rack. Earth is in the background, of course.

The blue arrow is the direction he was facing in Pt.1 of "The Big One". He was looking in the direction indicated by the red arrow in Pt.2, and the purple arrow indicates his orientation when the object in Pt.3 passed by.

The anomaly is circled in yellow in this full view of the scene. Major features are identified, and the actual course of the anomaly marked out in yellow as well.

The fuzzy patches seen in light blue against the blackness of space are lens flares, roughly hexagonal in shape. All video during "The Big One" was shot from the helmet camera atop Astronaut Richard Linnehan's space suit.

There is NOTHING normally encountered in space which can move as this anomalous object does. There are no man-made satellites or spacecraft available publicly today, which are capable of flying in this manner. What we have in this event is something far and away out of the ordinary. I classify it as unknown.

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At all times during this event, the camera was under the control of the INCO in Houston Mission Control.

(INCO - INstrument & Communication Officer - The man in Houston Mission Control Center who is responsible for operating the Shuttle payload bay, and robotic arm, cameras. He also remotely operates the helmet cameras in space suits. In the case of ISS, this officer is referred to as the CATO - Communications And Tracking Officer. In both cases, these persons CONTROL everything which is PERMITTED to go out on broadcast to the public. It is a commonly believed falacy that the cameras are operated by Astronauts & Cosmonauts on the Shuttles, and Space Station. Very little camera work is done by the crews. They're way too busy for that.)

At the end of the day, it's up to YOU to draw your own conclusions.

© 2005 Jeff Challender