During the Christmas season, 1999, NASA astronauts in Space Shuttle Discovery captured the Hubble Space Telescope, repaired it and sent it back into orbit to search deep space.

Two of the major projects, replacing a Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS) and replacing the S-Band Single Access Transmitter (SSAT) were conducted with ZipNut® Technology products. The FGS, which keeps the telescope accurately pointed, was replaced with 8 Double ZipNut® Hand Tools developed with Swales Aerospace. The Double ZipNut® tools were used by the space walking astronauts to remove the old FGS, to install the new FGS and to secure the old FGS into the shuttle for reentry.

The SSAT, which communicates the Hubble data back to earth, requires 8 10-32 bolts which were secured in 8 specially designed ZipNuts®.

12/15/2000