If Chris Ferguson commands a shuttle mission of Atlantis in the next few weeks, it will be his second time commanding Atlantis. But, he’ll only be flying if there’s a serious emergency aboard STS-125—Endeavor’s mission to perform the final Hubble Space Telescope (HST) repair.
Ferguson commanded STS-126 back in November 2008. (Yes, STS-125 is flying AFTER STS-126. Something like this has happened before: Gemini 7 preceded Gemini 6.)
Why?
All space missions are dangerous. Why would this one be backed up by a possible rescue mission? Because this mission will be flying to the HST, and the orbit required would make it impossible for a crippled Atlantis to dock with the International Space Station. On most shuttle missions, the ISS serves as a potential “port of safety” for astronauts aboard a crippled spacecraft.
Odd Scenario
We’ve got a rare scenario today. Two shuttle are on the launchpad, ready to go into space.
Two shuttles poised for launch
The rescue mission, STS-400, would have only 4 astronauts aboard. This would presumably leave room for a Endeavor to return with 11 crowded but relieved people aboard.
The method of recovery: tethering the 2 spacecraft together; doing some spacewalks to bring the astronauts aboard the healthy shuttle; and a safe landing on day 8 of the rescue mission.
