Science Recovery with the HST WFPC-2 Camera System

The second Wide Field and Planetary Camera (WFPC-2) was already in development when the large surface figure error was discovered in the HST primary mirror. The WFPC-2 was envisioned as a backup for the original WFPC launched aboard the HST, designed for on-orbit replacement of the WFPC during a Shuttle servicing mission. WFPC-2 incorporates evolutionary improvements in the CCD sensor technology, the complement of 48 photometric filters, and sensitivity at far-ultraviolet wavelengths. A servicing mission now scheduled for late 1993 will be our first opportunity to correct the HST aberrations through modified science instruments and to commence science programs which require high quality imaging. The success of this servicing mission in the eyes of the science community will require imaging capabilities close to those originally promised for HST.