The History and Achievements of the Hubble Telescope

The Hubble Telescope is famous worldwide for its amazing images of the universe. Congress in 1977 voted to fund a project to construct the Hubble. Completion of the telescope was in 1985. The Hubble was supposed to be launched a year later but was delayed because of the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.

The Hubble Space Telescope was launched on April 25th, 1990 on the space shuttle. The giant telescope Hubble sent back pictures from space that were out of focus. The giant mirror had a major flaw. It was too flat on one edge 1/50th of the width of a single human hair.

The Space Shuttle Endeavor in December 1993 captured and corrected the Hubble by adding to the telescope a camera to correct problems with the Hubbles mirror. In February 1997 astronauts exchanged some of its instruments and added new blankets to keep Hubble warm. NASA decided on Oct. 1997 to extend its operations from 2005 to 2010.

Hubble's mission in space is to explore the solar system, and measure the age and size of the universe. Hubble's giant telescope searches for our cosmic roots, and charts the evolution of the universe. It also trys to unlock the mysteries of stars, planets, galaxies, and life itself.

Achievements of the Hubble

NASA releases Orion Nebula images from the Hubble in June 1994 that confirms the births of planets around newborn stars in space.

In Nov. 1995 telescope images released by NASA of the "Eagle Nebula" showing where stars are born.

NASA releases the "Deep Field" images in Jan. 1996 in which Hubble looks back in time more than 10 billion years. Revealing at least 1,500 galaxies at various stages of development.