HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

       DAILY REPORT #2993

PERIOD COVERED:  0000Z (UTC) 11/06/01 - 0000Z (UTC) 11/07/01

Daily Status Report as of 311/0000Z

1.0 OBSERVATIONS SCHEDULED AND ACCOMPLISHED:

    1.1 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8901 (Dark Monitor-Part 1)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to monitor 
the darks.  There was no anomalous activity.

    1.2 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 8936 (Cycle 10 Supplemental Darks Pt1/3)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to perform a dark calibration program that 
obtains 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-2 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 Seven Sets of STIS/CCD 9285 (POMS Test Proposal: STIS 
Non-scripted Parallel Proposal Continuation III)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to make low 
galactic latitude, non-scripted parallel observations as part of a POMS 
test proposal.  The observations were completed as planned, and no 
anomalies were reported.

    1.5 Completed STIS/CCD 9066 (Closing in on the Hydrogen Reionization 
Edge of the Universe)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used in parallel 
constrain the Hydrogen reionization edge in emission that marks the 
transition from a neutral to a fully ionized IGM at a predicted 
redshifts.  The proposal completed uneventfully.

    1.6 Completed 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.

    1.7 Completed STIS/CCD 8903 (Bias Monitor - Part 1)

        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.  There were no problems.

    1.8 Completed WF/PC-2 9250 (Hubble Heritage Observations of NGC 1275)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to observe the active galaxy NGC 1275 for a 
Hubble Heritage release.  It is planned to obtain a two-orbit I-band image 
that will be combined with archival B and R-band images of the same object, 
to result in a 3-color image.  There were no reported problems.

    1.9 Completed Eight Sets of WF/PC-2 8940 (Cycle 10 Earth Flats)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to monitor flatfield stability by obtaining 
sequences of Earth streak flats to construct high quality flat fields for 
the WF/PC-2 filter set.  These flat fields will allow mapping of the OTA 
illumination pattern and will be used in conjunction with previous internal 
and external flats to generate new pipeline superflats.  The proposal 
completed without incident.

    1.10 Completed Two Sets of STIS/CCD 8611 (Observations of Nearby Type 
Ia Supernovae)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (CCD) was used to obtain 
UV spectra of five nearby {0.02 < z < 0.08} SNe Ia in the Hubble Flow.  The 
spectra will be taken at weekly intervals over a range in time starting 
slightly before maximum light and extending to +30 days.  These 
observations will accomplish the following three goals: {1} calibration of 
the rest frame UV light curves of SNe Ia and an assessment of their 
potential use as distance indicators through UV light curve shape analyses. 
{2} improvement in our understanding of the physics of SNe Ia, 
metallicity/evolutionary effects and correlations between peak brightness 
and UV spectral features. {3} calibration of the SNe Ia previously observed 
by HST at high-redshift.  This data is crucial for proper cross-filter 
k-corrections and calibration of the supernova photometry.  The 
observations completed with no reported anomalous activity.

    1.11 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.

    1.12 Completed Two Sets of WF/PC-2 9249 (POMS Test Proposal: WFII 
Backup Parallel Archive Proposal II)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to execute a POMS test proposal designed to 
simulate scientific plans.  The proposal completed with no reported problems.

    1.13 Completed WF/PC-2 9118 (Tracing the Cosmic Expansion to z>1 with 
Type Ia Supernovae)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to observe type Ia supernovae in order to 
provide evidence for an accelerating universe.  The case for cosmic 
acceleration rests almost entirely on the observation that the observed SN 
Ia at z~0.5 are 0.25 magnitudes fainter than expected for a 
non-accelerating Universe.  It is proposed to follow five SN Ia in the 
range 0.95<z<1.2 using the 850LP filter.  When combined with a ground-based 
J-band follow-up campaign, the proposers can expect to measure the mean 
luminosity distance of the sample at z~ 1.05 to better than 5.  At these 
redshifts, the effect of Omega_Lambda has all but vanished and the Universe 
was decelerating due to its known matter content.  Because any simple 
systematic error will deviate substantially from the non-monotonic effect 
of a Omega_Lambda > 0 cosmology, this experiment is a powerful and 
straightforward way to assess the reliability of the SN Ia 
measurements.  In addition, if SN Ia are reliable standard candles, the 
proposed observations will significantly increase the precision with which 
Omega_Lambda and Omega_M are measured.  There was no reported anomalous 
activity.

    1.14 Completed Two Sets of STIS/MA1/MA2 8920 (Cycle 10 MAMA Dark 
Measurements)

        The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (MA1 and MA2) was used to 
perform the routine monitoring of the MAMA detector dark noise, and is the 
primary means of checking on health of the MAMA detectors systems through 
frequent monitoring of the background count rate.  The proposal completed 
with no reported anomalous activity.

    1.15 Completed WF/PC-2 8867 (Gamma-Ray Bursts: Discovering The 
Progenitors And Understanding The Explosion - Visits A0-R0)

        The WF/PC-2 was used to observe a gamma-ray burster, 
GRB010921.  Gamma-ray burst astronomy, one of the most active and exciting 
frontiers in astrophysics, is now entering a critical stage -- with 
dramatic leaps in understanding of these events, as well as new 
discoveries.  Improvements in triggering and positioning accuracy provided 
by the SAX and HETE-2 gamma-ray satellites will allow entirely new classes 
of events to be studied.  Given the recent progress in this field, the 
proposers are now in a position to design precision, broadband measurements 
that can provide quantitative information on the as-yet unknown energy 
sources, the explosion geometry, and the surrounding medium.  In 
particular, the growing evidence of an intimate connection between SNe and 
GRBs can be definitively tested.  The proposal completed with no reported 
problems.

2.0 FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUMMARY:

    2.1 Guide Star Acquisitions:
       Scheduled Acquisitions:  9
Successful:  9

  Scheduled Re-acquisitions:  8
Successful:  8

    2.2 FHST Updates:
Scheduled: 19
Successful: 19

    2.3 Operations Notes:

        The gyro #3 motor current increased from about 190 mamps to 
approximately 207 mamps at 310/2246Z, after an initial spike to 252 
mamps.  HSTAR 8390 was written.  This event occurred during an FGS guiding 
period without impact to either the guiding or science.  All subsequent 
acquisitions have been successful.  An initial corresponding drop in heater 
duty cycle was seen which may be indicative of another lube patch.  In two 
days, PCS engineers will have completed a two-day power assessment of the 
heater duty cycle.  A bias shift of 25, 10 and 17 arcsec/hr was seen in the 
V1, V2 and V3 axes.  Using ROP DF-14A, the re-computed RGA bias table was 
uplinked at 311/0107Z.

        The SSR EDAC error counter was cleared at 311/0013Z per ROP SR-1A.

3.0 SIGNIFICANT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

        Continuation of normal science observations and calibrations.

/CAW