This article was taken from the April issue of Wired UK magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online
When the Hubble Space Telescope needs servicing, spanners from the local B&Q just won't cut it at 570km above the Earth. For last May's Servicing Mission 4, Nasa developed 116 specialised tools for jobs including on-site repairs of the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS).
The instruments, which view distant ultraviolet to infrared light, had failed in 2004 and 2007 respectively. "We usually replace whole instruments instead of repairing them, but we didn't have the replacement modules," says Jill McGuire, manager of the Hubble crew aids-and-tools team. "All of these tools had to be customised to work in the harsh conditions of space."
Photographer Michael Soluri gained exclusive access to the tools, shooting them at the Nasa Goddard Space Flight Center, near Washington DC. "These tools were one-of-a-kind pieces of art," he says. "Like engineering sculptures."
<img src="http://cdni.wired.co.uk/674x281/s_v/STISFCP-soluri.jpg" alt="STIS fastener capture plate"/>
STIS fastener capture plateA transparent plate that captures all 111 fasteners of the STIS cover as they are removed. The openings are colour-coded and numbered, indicating which drill size to use and the order of fastener removal.
<img src="http://cdni.wired.co.uk/674x281/k_n/MiniHandDrill-soluri.jpg" alt="Mini power tool"/>
Mini power toolA low-torque, high-speed (up to 300rpm) drill, ideally suited to removing fasteners. Low torque avoids breaking any fasteners; high speed enables the astronaut to remove 111 fasteners in 45 minutes.
<img src="http://cdni.wired.co.uk/674x281/a_c/CardExtrTool-soluri.jpg" alt="Card extraction tool"/>
Card extraction toolThis helps astronauts apply controlled force when handling and extracting circuit boards. "Most of the tools we build are not primary tools, but handling aids," says Jill McGuire.
<img src="http://cdni.wired.co.uk/674x281/d_f/FCP-soluri.jpg" alt="ACS fastener capture plate"/>
ACS fastener capture plate
This plate captures 32 ACS fasteners and removes the instrument cover. The location of the electronics box in the ACS means the tools have to be adaptable to right angles.<span class="art-img"><img src="http://cdni.wired.co.uk/674x281/s_v/SM4DoorStay-soluri copy.jpg" alt="Manual door stary"/>
Manual door stayThis gives the astronaut a way to keep doors and covers opened at a fixed angle. The pivoting ends allow for various angle configurations.
<img src="http://cdni.wired.co.uk/674x281/o_r/PRG-soluri.jpg" alt="Pistrol grip tool"/>
Pistol-grip tool
The first computer-controlled driver used in space missions, the pistol-grip tool is the primary power tool used on the Hubble Space Telescope and International Space Station.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
