Hubble Space Telescope sporting new solar arrays during SM3B

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, sporting new solar arrays and other important but less visible new hardware, begins its separation from the Space Shuttle Columbia. The STS-109 crew deployed the giant telescope at 4:04 a.m. CST (10:04 GMT), 9 March 2002. Afterward, the seven crew members began to focus their attention to the trip home, scheduled for 12 March. The STS-109 astronauts conducted five space walks to service and upgrade Hubble. This image was recorded with a digital still camera.