Hubba, hubba! Hubble still looking good after 25 years
2015-03-31
Twenty-five may be young for humans and giant tortoises—but for a space vehicle that’s had its lenses to the heavens for that many years—it’s downright ancient. But thanks to spacewalking visitors and a design made for servicing, the Hubble Space Telescope has outlasted its original expiration date by at least 10 years.
Hubble was released into orbit on April 25, 1990, during STS-31. Five servicing missions from 1993 to 2009 ensured the longevity of this scientific marvel, which is still dependably sending down data to scientists and investigators around the world.
Read up on the codependent but functional relationship this telescope has enjoyed with spacewalking astronauts in the spring Roundup, now online.
The first-person experiences of the astronauts who participated in the Hubble deployment and servicing missions can also be found online at the JSC Oral History Project website.
Last, but certainly not least, check out the Hubble 25th Anniversary website for fun Hubble activities, news, events, photos and more trivia.
Catherine Ragin Williams
NASA Johnson Space Center
Hubble was released into orbit on April 25, 1990, during STS-31. Five servicing missions from 1993 to 2009 ensured the longevity of this scientific marvel, which is still dependably sending down data to scientists and investigators around the world.
Read up on the codependent but functional relationship this telescope has enjoyed with spacewalking astronauts in the spring Roundup, now online.
The first-person experiences of the astronauts who participated in the Hubble deployment and servicing missions can also be found online at the JSC Oral History Project website.
Last, but certainly not least, check out the Hubble 25th Anniversary website for fun Hubble activities, news, events, photos and more trivia.
Catherine Ragin Williams
NASA Johnson Space Center
The NASA Hubble Space Telescope revisited the famous Pillars of Creation, revealing a sharper and wider view of the structures in this visible-light image. Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
NGC 5257/8 (Arp 240) is an astonishing galaxy pair, composed of spiral galaxies of similar mass and size, NGC 5257 and NGC 5258. Credit: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration, and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)
The spring Roundup features Hubble's 25-year legacy. Image Credit: NASA