Astronauts eager for last Hubble visit

John Grunsfeld: The original Hubble hugger
Astronaut John Grunsfeld, 51, is no stranger to the Hubble Space Telescope. The astronomer-turned-astronaut is making his fifth career spaceflight aboard Atlantis on a mission that marks his third visit to Hubble. He serves as Mission Specialist 3 and the flight's lead spacewalker, with three excursions on tap.

"The Hubble Space Telescope is more than remarkable," Grunsfeld, a self-labeled "Hubble hugger," said during a NASA interview. "It has answered just so many of those fundamental questions that people have been asking about the cosmos since people were able to ask questions."

Grunsfeld has aimed for space since his childhood, when he built his own ad hoc spacesuit out of a vacuum cleaner and ice cream tins. He was born in Chicago and obtained a doctorate in physics before realizing his astronaut dream in 1992.

"I think that space exploration as a broad activity is the most important things that humans can do," Grunsfeld said in an interview. "I've always found it fascinating, interesting, compelling and I have a drive to go out into space."

Grunsfeld is married to wife Carol and has two young children, a son and a daughter.

Michael Massimino: Twittering spacewalker
Of all the astronauts bound for Hubble, veteran spaceflyer Michael "Mas" Massimino is the only one broadcasting his mission training to the world under the moniker @Astro_Mike on the microblogging Web site Twitter.

"The whole Twitter experience has been great fun," Massimino, 47, told reporters last month. "I think as astronauts we look for ways to be able to share what we do because it's a pretty cool job."

As of Monday he was: "Enjoying my weekend, last one before entering quarantine, 8 days to launch."

Like Grunsfeld, Massimino is a veteran spacewalker and Hubble handyman. He, Grunsfeld and Altman all flew together on the STS-109 mission. Massimino holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering and joined NASA's spaceflying ranks in 1996. He is making his second spaceflight on Atlantis, where he serves as Mission Specialist 4 and will perform two spacewalks.

Massimino grew up in Franklin Square, N.Y., and is married to wife Carole. They have a teenage daughter and son.

Andrew Feustel: Spacewalker's debut
Rounding out Atlantis' Hubble servicing crew is first-time flier Andrew Feustel, who will perform three spacewalks during the mission as Mission Specialist 5.

Slide show   The Hubble Story What’s it like to hang in space and fix the Hubble Space Telescope? more photos

"It is action-packed," Feustel, 44, told Space.com. "It's going to be busy, there's no question."

Feustel grew up in Lake Orion, Mich., and is married to wife Indira and has two sons, ages 13 and 15. He is a trained geophysicist with a doctorate in geological sciences and a specialization in seismology. But while he does hope to spot the signals of Earth's plate tectonics from space, his heart is set on walking and working in weightlessness.

"Doing a spacewalk is something I've always wanted to do, so I'm really excited about it," Feustel said. "I want to have a good time and enjoy it while I'm up there."

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