
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, March 29, 1990                   TAG: 9003290449
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A3   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA.                                LENGTH: Short

NASA GETS BUGS OUT OF SHUTTLE TELESCOPE

NASA began preparations Wednesday to load the $1.5 billion Hubble Space Telescope into the shuttle Discovery after working out a few bugs, namely gnat-like midges.

Technicians snared about 40 of the insects before removing the traps and preparing for Thursday's installation.

"We're up and running," said George Diller, a spokesman for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The agency had planned to install the telescope in the orbiter Tuesday. But it was forced to delay the procedure after midges were found in a payload preparation room on the launch tower.

Engineers feared the insects might damage the fragile 25,000-pound telescope, the most expensive unmanned spacecraft ever built.

The delay will not affect Discovery's scheduled April 12 liftoff, Diller said.

- Associated Press

by CNB