Guide Note

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is the largest visible-light observatory ever launched into orbit. Its position outside Earth's eliminates atmospheric interference, allowing the HST to gather much more detailed images and readings than ground-based telescopes.

Fast Facts

Joint project between the United States's NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA)
Construction began in 1978
Originally estimated construction cost: $400 million
By 1999, total cost of the project was over $6 billion¹
Named after astronomer Edwin P. Hubble
Primary mirror is 2.4 meters in diameter
Orbits 589 kilometers above the Earth's surface
Completes an orbit 96 minutes²
One of the four orbiting telescopes collectively named NASA's "Great Observatories"³

Categories

Science | Astronomy

View Note History

Hubble Space Telescope

The Mahalo Top 7

Official Site: HubbleSite
Official Site: Space Telescope Science Institute
NASA: The Hubble Space Telescope
ESA: European Homepage For Hubble Space Telescope
ESA: Space Telescope European Coordinating Facility
Space Telescope Science Institute: The Hubble Heritage Project
Wikipedia: Hubble Space Telescope

Hubble Space Telescope Recent News

Boston.com: Preparing to rescue Hubble (September 1, 2008)
ESA: Hubble Space Telescope News
Google News: Hubble Space Telescope

Hubble Space Telescope Facts and Information

Howstuffworks: How Hubble Space Telescope Works
Exploratorium: Origins: Hubble: A View to the Edge of Space
NationalGeographic.com: Star Journey: Hubble Space Telescope

Hubble Space Telescope Educational Resources

Space Telescope Science Institute: Amazing Space
Space Telescope Science Institute: HubbleSOURCE: Informal Science Education Resources
NASA Quest: Live From the Hubble Space Telescope

Hubble Space Telescope Images and Videos

Space Telescope Science Institute: The Hubble Heritage Project: Gallery of Images
HubbleSite: Gallery: Hubble Picture Album
HubbleSite: Gallery: Spacecraft Hubble
ESA: SpaceTelescope.org: Zoomable Hubble Images Archive
YouTube: Hubble veteran, Mike Massimino, tells it like it is (Time 4:40)

Hubble Space Telescope Books and DVDs

ESA: Hubble - 15 Years of Discovery (Book)
ESA: Hubble - 15 Years of Discovery (DVD)
Amazon.com: Hubble: The Mirror on the Universe by Robin Kerrod and Carole Stott
Amazon.com: The Hubble Wars: Astrophysics Meets Astropolitics ... by Eric J. Chaisson
Amazon.com Book Search: Hubble Space Telescope

Hubble Space Telescope Timeline

1969: American astrophysicist Lyman Spitzer gathers the support for his project of an orbital telescope.
1977: Congress approves funding for the project.
April 25, 1990: HST is deployed in space by shuttle Discovery flight STS-31.
December 2, 1993: Endeavour flight STS-61 launches to perform the Servicing Mission 1 (SM1).
February 11, 1997: Discovery flight STS-82 launches into space for Servicing Mission 2 (SM2).
October 29, 1998: Discovery flight STS-95 tests technologies to be used in the next servicing missions.
December 19, 1999: Discovery flight flight STS-103 launches into space for Servicing Mission 3A (SM3A).
March 1, 2002: Columbia flight STS-109 launches into space for Servicing Mission 3B (SM3B).
September 10, 2008: Target date for flight STS-125, the fifth and final Servicing Mission 4 (SM4).
2012-2013: End of Hubble Space Telescope operations and controlled de-orbit

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