HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

           DAILY REPORT #2933

PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 08/09/01 - 0000Z (UTC) 08/10/01

Daily Status Report as of 222/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

    1.1 Completed Five Sets of STIS/CCD 8808 (POMS Test Proposal: STIS 
Non-Scripted Parallel Proposal Continuation III)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make 
non-scripted, parallel observations as part of a POMS test proposal.  The 
observations completed with no anomalous activity.

    1.2 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.

    1.3 Completed Three 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.

    1.4 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8864 (CCD Dark Monitor-Part 2)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor 
the darks for the CCD.  The proposal completed nominally.

    1.5 Completed STIS/CCD 9177 (Tidal Disruption of Stars by Massive Black 
Holes in Galaxy Nuclei: After the Flare)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to observe 
supermassive black hole that will rip apart a star that strays within its 
tidal radius, causing an Eddington-limited UV/X-ray flare for several 
months as the orbiting debris accretes.  While such events are predicted to 
occur at most once in 10^4 yr per galaxy, an experiment was performed in 
1990-91 which sampled hundreds of thousands of galaxies in the ideal 
wavelength band.  Three galaxies had unusual X-ray flares, but no evidence 
for nuclear activity in ground-based spectra.  To establish beyond a 
reasonable doubt that these were tidal disruption events, it is proposed to 
make a sensitive search for permanent Seyfert activity, the only possible 
alternative to the disruption hypothesis.  Nuclear optical spectra obtained 
through a narrow slit will reject most of the starlight and place limits on 
AGN-like emission line activity below those of the weakest 
Seyferts.  Masses of black holes could be studied by monitoring the 
outburst light curves and the spectra of the tidal debris.  The proposal 
completed with no reported problems.

    1.6 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 9244 (POMS Test Proposal: WFII 
Parallel Archive Proposal Continuation)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to perform a generic target version of the 
Archival Pure Parallel program.  The program will be used to take parallel 
images of random areas of the sky, following the recommendations of the 
Parallels Working Group.  The observations completed with no anomalous 
activity.

    1.7 Completed STIS/CCD 8865 (Bias Monitor-Part 2)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor 
the bias in the 1x1, 1x2, 2x1, and 2x2 bin settings at gain=1, and 1x1 at 
gain = 4, to build up high-S/N superbiases and track the evolution of hot 
columns.  The proposal completed with no anomalous activity.

    1.8 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 9052 (A Global Search for Alteration 
Minerals on Mars)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to perform 
high spatial resolution and moderate spectral resolution long-slit imaging 
spectroscopy of Mars, to search for and globally map the presence of 
iron-bearing minerals that are diagnostic of specific climatic 
conditions.  These hyperspectral image cubes will be complemented by 
near-simultaneous WFPC2 UV-VIS imaging that will allow us to quantify the 
effects of water ice clouds or other aerosols on our STIS spectra.  These 
STIS data will provide the ability to detect and map small abundances {~1 
jarosite K, Na, H_3OFe_3{SO_4}_2{OH}_6, goethite {AlphaFeOOH}, hematite 
{alphaFe_2O_3}, and other ferric and ferrous phases.  These minerals are 
formed under specific environmental conditions, and some are potential 
sinks for Martian atmospheric volatiles.  There were no reported problems.

    1.9 Completed Two Sets of STIS/MA2 8843 (Cycle 9 MAMA Dark Measurements)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA2) was used to perform 
the routine monitoring of the MAMA detector dark noise.  The proposal 
completed nominally.

    1.10 Completed WF/PC-2 8825 (Decontaminations and Associated 
Observations 4/4)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to perform the monthly decontaminations 
(decons).  Also included are instrument monitors tied to decons: 
photometric stability check, focus monitor, pre- and post-decon internals 
{bias, intflats, kspots, & darks}, UV throughput check, VISFLAT sweep, and 
internal UV flat check.  The proposal completed with no reported problems.

    1.11 Completed STIS/MA2 8863 (NUV-MAMA Cycle 9 Flats)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA2) was used to obtain 
NUV-MAMA observations of the internal Deuterium lamp to construct an NUV 
flat applicable to all NUV modes.  There were no reported problems.

    1.12 Completed WF/PC-2 9259 (Astrometry and Photometry of the binary 
TNO 1998 WW31)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to confirm the discovery that the Trans 
Neptunian Object {TNO} 1998 WW31 has a satellite.  Observations of this 
object would be of immense public interest.  Combining images taken at 
separate epochs would afford an opportunity to derive the orbit and 
physical parameters of this system.  The observations completed nominally.

    1.13 Completed STIS/CCD 9136 (T Tauri Star Coronagraphic Survey: A PMS 
Protoplanetary Disk Census)

      The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to observe 
pre-main sequence solar-mass stars, the T Tauri stars that Millimeter and 
IR studies suggest at least 50 percent have circumstellar disks similar to 
the disk from which our planetary system formed.  High spatial resolution, 
high dynamic range imaging of such systems will map the spatial 
distribution of material around the star, constraining the disk sizes and 
inclinations, and provide a first assessment of when structure in the disk, 
such as cleared central zones and annuli, which has been linked to planet 
formation, develops.  All observations completed without incident.

    1.14 Completed 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.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

    2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
       Scheduled Acquisitions: 10
Successful: 10

  Scheduled Re-acquisitions:  4
Successful:  4

    2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 24
Successful: 24

    2.3 Operations Notes:

        Operations personnel supported GSFC SM3B Internal Simulation #10 
(EVA-4/ACS) from 8:00 a.m. until approximately 5:00 p.m.

        Using ROP SR-1A, the SSR EDAC error counter was cleared four times.

      The STIS MCE-2 reset at 221/160502Z while the low voltage was on and 
while outsie any SAA interval.  The STIS flight software error counter was 
reset at 221/1620Z.  MAMA-2 was recovered at 221/1713Z via nominal SMS 
commanding.

        The NSSC-1 status buffer was dumped and cleared at 221/2207Z per 
ROP NS-03.

        The engineering status buffer limits were adjusted at 222/0744Z as 
directed by ROP DF-18A.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

        Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.

/CAW