Hubble Space Telescope - First Servicing Mission: Down to Earth Logistics - From GSFC to KSC and Back

The Hubble Space Telescope First Servicing Mission is a major accomplishment for NASA and has drawn world-wide attention and interest. The extravehicular servicing and repair activities performed by the STS-61 crew were the most ambitious ever undertaken. Their unprecedented success in performing on-orbit repair and maintenance, particularly in correcting the aberration in the primary mirror, has enabled the HST to provide sensational images and the anticipation of exciting scientific discoveries. Although the whole world watched the televised logistics activities (on-orbit maintenance) that took place in space, few are aware of the time and effort that went into planning and executing the space logistics that takes place with our feet on the ground. This paper addresses a major part of that effort - the packaging, handling, and transportation (PH&T) activities required to ship the GSFC HST space flight hardware and ground support equipment to KSC for launch and the post launch return to GSFC. It addresses the logistics and transportation planning for the containers for the Solar Array Carrier, the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier, and the Flight Support System and their transporters, and the over land and water portions of the shipments.