If you’ve ever wondered ‘when was the hubble telescope made,’ you’re not alone. Its story is a fascinating journey of ambition, engineering, and a famous fix. The Hubble Space Telescope is one of humanity’s most important scientific instruments, but its path from concept to launch was decades long.
This article will walk you through the complete timeline of Hubble’s creation. We’ll look at the early ideas, the long construction process, the launch, and the critical repair mission that saved it. You’ll get a clear picture of the people and milestones that made Hubble possible.
When Was The Hubble Telescope Made
Answering ‘when was the Hubble telescope made’ depends on what you mean by “made.” Do you mean when it was first proposed, when construction started, when it was launched, or when it became fully operational? Most people consider its “making” to span from initial concept to its deployment in space. The key date is its launch on April 24, 1990, aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. But the story really begins much, much earlier.
The Early Vision: Before Construction Began
The idea of a telescope in space isn’t as new as you might think. Scientists dreamed about it long before we had the technology to build one.
- 1923: Hermann Oberth, a rocket pioneer, first proposed an observatory in space.
- 1946: Astrophysicist Lyman Spitzer wrote a detailed paper arguing for a large space telescope. He showed how it could see much clearer than any ground-based telescope.
- 1960s-1970s: NASA began serious studies. They launched smaller orbital observatories, which proved that space-based astronomy was incredibly powerful.
These early steps were crucial. They provided the scientific proof and political momentum needed to get a major project like Hubble approved.
Getting Approval and Funding
Turning a big idea into a real NASA project is a huge challenge. It requires money, people, and a lot of persuasion.
- In 1974, NASA established a committee to define the project’s goals.
- Getting funding from the U.S. Congress was difficult. Budget cuts delayed the project several times.
- A key breakthrough came with a partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA) in 1975. ESA agreed to provide funding and parts, like solar panels.
- Finally, in 1977, Congress approved the large funding needed to start full-scale development.
This approval was the official green light. Now, the real work of building the Hubble Space Telescope could begin.
The Construction Phase: Building a Precision Instrument
Construction started in the late 1970s and continued throughout the 1980s. It was a massive effort involving thousands of scientists, engineers, and technicians across the United States and Europe.
The telescope was built as a modular system. Different companies and institutions built specific parts:
- The Mirror: Perkin-Elmer Corporation crafted the primary mirror, a 2.4-meter (7.9-foot) wide piece of ultra-low expansion glass. Polishing it to a perfect shape took years.
- The Spacecraft Body: Lockheed Missiles and Space Company built the outer structure, the support systems, and the fine guidance sensors.
- The Instruments: Teams of scientists built the initial suite of cameras and spectrographs, including the Wide Field and Planetary Camera.
Every component had to be built to survive the violence of a rocket launch and the harsh conditions of space. Testing was extensive and took a very long time.
Major Challenges and Delays
The build didn’t go perfectly smooth. Several major problems caused significant delays.
- The polishing of the primary mirror was a painstakingly slow process.
- Budget overruns caused political problems and threatened to cancel the project.
- The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986 grounded the entire shuttle fleet. Hubble was complete and ready to go by 1985, but it had to sit in a clean room for years waiting for a ride.
These delays were frustrating, but they also allowed for more testing. Little did anyone know, a critical flaw was already present.
Launch Day: April 24, 1990
After all the waiting, the big day finally arrived. On April 24, 1990, the Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off from Kennedy Space Center with the Hubble Space Telescope in its cargo bay.
The deployment was a carefully choreographed sequence:
- Shuttle astronauts used the robotic arm to lift Hubble out of the payload bay.
- They pointed it toward space and released it.
- Ground controllers then sent commands to power up its systems and unfurl its solar arrays.
The world celebrated. NASA had its new “eye on the universe.” However, the celebration was short-lived. When the first test images came back, they were blurry.
The Flaw and the Fix: Servicing Mission 1
A tiny, but catastrophic, error was discovered. The primary mirror had been polished to the wrong shape. It was too flat at its edges by about 1/50th the width of a human hair. This flaw meant Hubble’s vision was crippled.
This was a massive embarassment for NASA. But engineers immediately started working on a solution. They designed a set of corrective optics, much like glasses for a nearsighted person. This system was called COSTAR (Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement). They also built a new camera, the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2), with its own built-in correction.
In December 1993, the Space Shuttle Endeavour embarked on Servicing Mission 1. Astronauts performed a series of complex spacewalks to install the new instruments. The mission was a complete success. When the first corrected images were beamed back, they were stunningly sharp. Hubble was finally able to fulfill its promise.
Hubble’s Legacy and Upgrades
After the repair, Hubble began its incredible career. It wasn’t a one-time fix, though. The telescope was designed to be serviced by astronauts.
Four more servicing missions followed:
- Servicing Mission 2 (1997): Added new, more advanced instruments.
- Servicing Mission 3A (1999): Replaced gyroscopes and other failing parts.
- Servicing Mission 3B (2002): Installed the powerful Advanced Camera for Surveys.
- Servicing Mission 4 (2009): This final mission gave Hubble a major overhaul, installing two new cameras and repairing others, extending its life for many years.
Each mission was like giving Hubble a new lease on life, keeping it at the cutting edge of science for over three decades.
Key Scientific Discoveries
Hubble’s impact on science cannot be overstated. It has fundamentally changed our understanding of the universe.
- Age of the Universe: Hubble helped pin down the universe’s age at about 13.8 billion years.
- Dark Energy: Observations of distant supernovae provided evidence for the mysterious force accelerating the universe’s expansion.
- Galaxy Evolution: The iconic Hubble Deep Field images showed galaxies forming in the early universe, tracing cosmic history.
- Exoplanets: It directly imaged atmospheres of planets around other stars.
- Black Holes: Hubble provided proof that supermassive black holes reside at the centers of most galaxies.
These are just a few examples. The data from Hubble has been used in over 20,000 scientific papers.
How Hubble Still Operates Today
Even without the Space Shuttle for repairs, Hubble remains operational. It is run by NASA and ESA from the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.
Operations involve:
- Scientists from around the world propose observations.
- A committee selects the best proposals to use Hubble’s time.
- Engineers translate those plans into detailed commands.
- Commands are sent to Hubble via satellite relay.
- Hubble collects the data and transmits it back to Earth.
The telescope uses its gyroscopes to point steadily at targets and its solar panels for power. It’s a remarkable machine that continues to produce amazing science year after year.
The Future: What Comes After Hubble?
Hubble won’t last forever. Eventually, its components will fail. Its successor is already in space: the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Launched in 2021, Webb is designed to see primarily in infrared light, complementing Hubble’s visible and ultraviolet vision.
It’s important to note that Webb is not a replacement. The two telescopes work together. Hubble is expected to remain operational alongside Webb for several years, maybe even into the 2030s. When Hubble finally retires, it will slowly de-orbit, with some parts burning up and others falling safely into the ocean.
Why Hubble’s Story Matters to You
You might think a space telescope is just for scientists. But Hubble’s legacy touches everyone.
- Its images inspire awe and curiosity about our place in the cosmos.
- The technology developed for Hubble has led to advances in medicine, computing, and engineering.
- It represents what humanity can achieve through international cooperation and perseverance, even after a major setback.
Hubble shows us that solving big problems requires patience, ingenuity, and the courage to fix mistakes. Its story is a testament to human curiosity and our desire to see and understand more.
FAQ Section
When exactly was the Hubble telescope launched?
The Hubble Space Telescope was launched on April 24, 1990, aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery.
How long did it take to build the Hubble telescope?
From the approval of major funding in 1977 to its launch in 1990, the main construction and testing phase took about 13 years. If you include the early design studies, the entire process spanned over four decades.
Who built the Hubble Space Telescope?
Hubble was built by NASA with major contributions from the European Space Agency (ESA). Key contractors included Perkin-Elmer (mirror), Lockheed (spacecraft body), and many university and research teams who built the scientific instruments.
What was wrong with the Hubble telescope when it was first launched?
A flaw in the shape of its primary mirror caused spherical aberration. The mirror was too flat at the edges by a microscopic amount, resulting in blurry images. This was corrected by a space shuttle servicing mission in 1993.
Is the Hubble telescope still working?
Yes, as of 2024, the Hubble Space Telescope is still operational and conducting scientific observations. It continues to send back valuable data and stunning images.
Where is the Hubble telescope located?
Hubble orbits Earth at an altitude of about 547 kilometers (340 miles). It is not stationary; it circles the planet roughly every 95 minutes.
Can I see the Hubble telescope from Earth?
Yes, you can! Hubble is visible from the ground as a bright, fast-moving star. Websites like NASA’s “Spot the Station” can tell you when it will pass over your location.