HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

   DAILY REPORT #2906

PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 07/02/01 - 0000Z (UTC) 07/03/01

Daily Status Report as of 184/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

    1.1 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 9162 (Local Galaxy Flows and the 
Local Mass Density)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to investigate dark matter which is the main 
constituent of the universe.  It is not know how much there is, how it is 
distributed, or its composition.  Galaxies contain dark matter that extends 
many tens of kiloparsecs from their centers, but we do not know the 
limits.  The distribution of total mass in the universe can be determined 
by modelling the orbits galaxies have followed.  The proposal completed 
with no reported problems.

    1.2 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8828 (Cycle 9 Supplemental Darks pt3/3)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain three dark frames every day to 
provide data for monitoring and characterizing the evolution of hot 
pixels.  The proposal completed with no reported problems.

    1.3 Completed Four Sets of WF/PC-2 9042 (An Archive To Detect The 
Progenitors Of Massive, Core-Collapse Supernovae)

         The WF/PC-s was used to search for supernovae which have massive 
star progenitors.
The already extensive HST archive and high-resolution ground-based images 
of galaxies within ~20 Mpc enables us to resolve and quantify their 
individual bright stellar content.  As massive, evolved stars are the most 
luminous single objects in a galaxy, the progenitors of core-collapse 
supernovae should be directly detectable on pre-explosion images.  One Type 
II progenitor has been observed this year, and the investigators have 
proposed a short, companion WFPC2 proposal to confirm this candidate and 
identify a second.  The observations completed nominally.

    1.4 Completed WF/PC-2 9057 (Host Galaxies of Obscured QSOs Identified 
by 2MASS)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to perform a snapshot survey of red QSOs 
discovered in The Two Micron All Sky Survey {2MASS} to investigate the 
detailed properties of their host galaxies.  This large, possibly dominant, 
population of QSOs in the local universe has been previously overlooked 
because reddening by {intrinsic} obscuration along our line of sight causes 
their colors to be too red for identification by traditional "UV- excess" 
techniques.  Their near-IR colors are similar to PG- type {UV-excess} QSOs, 
but it is far from certain whether they are indeed from the same parent 
population or represent a completely new class of QSO.  There were no 
reported problems.

    1.5 Completed Five Sets of WF/PC-2 8935 (Cycle 10 Standard Darks)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain dark frames every week in order to 
provide data for the ongoing calibration of the CCD dark current rate, and 
to monitor and characterize the evolution of hot pixels.  Over an extended 
period these data will also provide a monitor of radiation damage to the 
CCDs.  The proposal completed with no reported problems.

    1.6 Completed Three Sets of WF/PC-2 9267 (Supernova Search)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to search for high-redshift supernovae in 
GO-observed fields, taking advantage of good first-epoch observations and 
of the scheduling opportunities available because STIS is not currently 
observing.  No anomalous activity was reported.

    1.7 Completed WF/PC-2 8812 (Cycle 9 Internal Monitor)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to obtain routine internal monitors for WFPC2 
in order to monitor the health of the cameras.  A variety of internal 
exposures are obtained in order to provide a monitor of the integrity of 
the CCD camera electronics in both bays {gain 7 and gain 15}, a test for 
quantum efficiency in the CCDs, and a monitor for possible buildup of 
contaminants on the CCD windows.  There were no reported problems.

    1.8 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 9124 (Mid-UV SNAPSHOT Survey of 
Nearby Irregulars: Galaxy Structure and Evolution Benchmark)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to investigate the relation between star 
formation and the global physical characteristics of galaxies to interpret 
the morphologies of distant galaxies in terms of their evolutionary 
status.  Distant galaxies are primarily observed in their rest frame 
mid-ultraviolet.  They resemble nearby late-type galaxies, but are they 
really physically similar classes of objects?  It is proposed to address 
this question through a SNAPSHOT survey in the 2 mid-UV filter F300W of 98 
nearby late-type, irregular and peculiar galaxies.  No problems were reported.

    1.9 Completed WF/PC-2 8720 (Masses and Multiplicity of Nearby Free- 
floating Methane and L Dwarfs)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to observe 50 very-low-mass objects in the 
solar neighborhood with spectral types of L0 and later {including several 
dwarfs with Methane absorption bands in their atmospheres}.  These objects 
will be observed in two filter bands with the aim to identify close 
companions, measure their colors, and to obtain first epoch data of the 
newly discovered binaries.  The observations completed nominally.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

    2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
       Scheduled Acquisitions: 16
Successful: 16

  Scheduled Re-acquisitions:  2
Successful:  2

    2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 22
Successful: 22

    2.3 Operations Notes:

        The STIS instrument remains in safe mode.

        The SSR EDAC error counter was cleared four times per ROP SR-1A.

        Using ROP DF-18A, the engineering status buffer limits were 
adjusted at 183/1202Z.

        As directed by ROP IC-2, an SSA transmitter was turned on at 
183/1556Z and turned off at 183/1625Z.

        The ephemeris table was uplinked at 184/0048Z per ROP DF-07A.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

        Pending NASA Headquarters approval, STIS Side 2 activation, Part 1, 
is scheduled to begin at approximately 184/1600Z.  Should this be 
successful, the resumption of STIS science operations, on side 2, will 
begin next week.

        Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.

/CAW