Veterinarian performs space surgery on Hubble

In an operation as risky as heart surgery, NASA astronaut and veterinarian Dr. Richard Linnehan joined a team of scientists in March on a mission to save the Hubble Space Telescope.

For nearly 32 hours, Linnehan, two physicists and a mechanical engineer worked to remove the telescope's 12-year-old power unit and replace it with a new one. In addition, the crew installed an advanced camera, and replaced damaged solar wings and an unreliable steering wheel.

"Its like working on a big beast, that's the best way I can explain it," Linnehan tells the Associated Press. "I'm going in to make the Hubble better than it was."

The newly installed unit is now working and has passed initial tests. The new $76 million camera will allow Hubble to view a broader span of sapce with more clarity and speed, officials report.

Without repairs, the glitch could have overheated the telescope's batteries, thereby wrecking the Hubble.

Linnehan also is known for operating on elephants, rhinos and whales.