The Hubble Space Telescope is one of the most important scientific instruments ever built. If you’ve ever wondered who launched the Hubble telescope, the answer involves a team of thousands and a specific space shuttle mission. This eye in the sky has completely changed our understanding of the universe, sending back images that are both stunning and scientifically priceless. Let’s look at the story of its journey to orbit and the incredible work it has done since.
Getting Hubble off the ground was a huge international effort. The idea for a large space telescope was dreamed up decades before it became a reality. NASA took the lead, but the European Space Agency (ESA) was a crucial partner, providing funding and key instruments. Many scientists, engineers, and contractors worked for years to design and build the complex observatory. The launch was just the final step in a very long process.
Who Launched The Hubble Telescope
So, who launched the Hubble telescope into space? The launch was handled by NASA’s Space Shuttle program. The specific orbiter was the Space Shuttle Discovery. Its mission designation was STS-31. The launch date was April 24, 1990. From Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Discovery and its five-person crew roared into the sky. The primary goal of the STS-31 mission was to deploy the Hubble Space Telescope successfully into a precise high orbit.
The astronauts on that historic flight were:
* Commander Loren J. Shriver
* Pilot Charles F. Bolden, Jr. (who later became the NASA Administrator)
* Mission Specialist Steven A. Hawley
* Mission Specialist Bruce McCandless II
* Mission Specialist Kathryn D. Sullivan
A key moment came on April 25, the day after launch. Using the shuttle’s robotic arm, Mission Specialist Steven Hawley carefully lifted Hubble out of Discovery’s payload bay and released it into space. The deployment was a tense and perfect moment, watched by millions back on Earth.
The Long Road to Launch Day
Hubble’s journey to launch pad was filled with delays and challenges. Initially proposed in the 1940s, serious planning began in the 1970s. The project was named after astronomer Edwin Hubble, who proved the universe is expanding. Building the telescope’s complex optics and systems took far longer and cost much more than originally planned. The tragic Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986 caused a major halt to all shuttle flights, pushing Hubble’s launch back by several years. When it finally launched in 1990, the scientific community breathed a sigh of relief.
Design and Specifications of Hubble
Hubble isn’t just a simple camera. It’s a sophisticated, school-bus-sized observatory designed to operate in the vacuum of space.
* Primary Mirror: 2.4 meters (7.9 feet) in diameter. This mirror collects light from distant objects.
* Instruments: It carries a suite of instruments, including cameras, spectrographs, and fine guidance sensors. These can see in ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared light.
* Power: Two large solar panels provide electricity.
* Orbit: It circles Earth about 340 miles above the surface, completing an orbit roughly every 95 minutes.
The Initial Problem and the Famous Fix
Soon after Hubble began its operations, scientists realized there was a sever problem. The first images it sent back were blurry. A flaw called “spherical aberration” was found in the primary mirror. It had been ground perfectly, but to the wrong shape—a error of just 1/50th the width of a human hair, but enough to ruin the focus. This was a massive disappointment and a public relations nightmare for NASA.
However, the design of Hubble included a brilliant feature: it was serviceable by astronauts. Shuttle missions could visit it for repairs and upgrades. So, NASA engineered a corrective solution.
The First Servicing Mission: STS-61
In December 1993, the Space Shuttle Endeavour embarked on mission STS-61, one of the most complex and critical space missions ever attempted. The crew performed a series of lengthy spacewalks to fix Hubble. They installed COSTAR (Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement), a device with specially shaped mirrors that corrected the flaw, much like giving the telescope a pair of glasses. They also replaced other components, like the solar panels. The mission was a complete success, and Hubble began transmitting the crystal-clear images we are familiar with today. This fix proved the incredible value of human spaceflight for repair and maintenance.
The Science and Discoveries of Hubble
Once fixed, Hubble started making discovery after discovery. It has revolutionized almost every area of astronomy. Here are some of its key contributions:
* Determining the Age of the Universe: Hubble helped pin down the rate of the universe’s expansion (the Hubble Constant) with great accuracy. This allowed scientists to calculate the universe’s age at about 13.8 billion years.
* Deep Field Images: By staring at a seemingly empty patch of sky for days, Hubble revealed thousands of galaxies in a tiny area, showing the incredible scale and history of the cosmos.
* Studying Exoplanet Atmospheres: Hubble has analyzed the atmospheric composition of planets orbiting other stars, a crucial step in the search for habitable worlds.
* Witnessing Cosmic Collisions: It has captured galaxies merging and provided evidence for supermassive black holes at their centers.
* Documenting Solar System Events: From comet impacts on Jupiter to storms on Neptune, Hubble acts as our remote weather satellite for the outer planets.
Subsequent Servicing Missions
Hubble was visited by shuttle astronauts four more times after the initial repair. Each mission replaced aging parts, installed new, more powerful instruments, and extended the telescope’s life. These missions were:
1. Servicing Mission 2 (STS-82, 1997): Installed new spectrographs and cameras.
2. Servicing Mission 3A (STS-103, 1999): An emergency mission to replace failing gyroscopes.
3. Servicing Mission 3B (STS-109, 2002): Installed the Advanced Camera for Surveys, a workhorse that took many iconic images.
4. Servicing Mission 4 (STS-125, 2009): The final shuttle mission to Hubble, which repaired two broken instruments and installed new ones, leaving it more powerful than ever.
The last mission in 2009 was particularly risky, as it was after the Columbia shuttle disaster and had no safe-haven option. Its success guaranteed Hubble’s operations for many more years.
Hubble’s Legacy and Future
Even with the launch of the newer James Webb Space Telescope, Hubble remains an active and vital observatory. The two telescopes work together, with Webb seeing primarily in infrared and Hubble covering visible and ultraviolet light. Hubble’s legacy is secure. It has made over 1.5 million observations and fueled more than 20,000 peer-reviewed scientific papers. Its public outreach images have inspired generations to look up and wonder about space.
Hubble is expected to remain operational possibly into the late 2030s, though its orbit will very slowly decay due to atmospheric drag. NASA is studying options for safely de-orbiting it at the end of its life. For now, it continues to send back invaluable data daily, a testament to the engineers who built it, the astronauts who launched and fixed it, and the scientists who guide its gaze.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who launched the Hubble Space Telescope and when?
NASA launched the Hubble Space Telescope on April 24, 1990. It was carried aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery during mission STS-31.
What was wrong with the Hubble telescope when it was first launched?
A tiny flaw in the shape of its main mirror caused spherical aberration, making the initial images blurry. This was fixed in 1993 by astronauts who installed corrective optics.
Can you see the Hubble telescope from Earth?
Yes, you can! Hubble is visible from the ground as a bright, fast-moving star. You can use websites like NASA’s “Spot the Station” to find out when it will pass over your location.
How far can the Hubble telescope see?
Hubble has looked back in time to see galaxies formed just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. Its “eXtreme Deep Field” image captured light from 13.2 billion years ago.
Who is the Hubble telescope named after?
It is named after Edwin P. Hubble, the pioneering American astronomer who proved that galaxies exist beyond our Milky Way and that the universe is expanding.
Is the Hubble telescope still working?
Absolutely. As of 2024, Hubble is still in operation and conducting cutting-edge science alongside the James Webb Space Telescope. It continues to produce amazing images and data.
How was the Hubble telescope fixed?
Space Shuttle astronauts performed a series of spacewalks in 1993 to install new instruments containing corrective optics. This mission, STS-61, was a complete success and saved the telescope.
Where is the Hubble telescope located?
Hubble orbits Earth at an altitude of approximately 340 miles (547 kilometers). It travels at about 17,000 miles per hour, completing an orbit every 95 minutes.
How much did the Hubble telescope cost?
The initial development and launch cost was about $4.7 billion. When you account for inflation and the servicing missions, the total investment is closer to $16 billion—a price scientists agree has been worth it for the knowledge gained.
What kind of pictures does the Hubble telescope take?
Hubble takes images in various wavelengths, including visible light, ultraviolet, and near-infrared. Many of the iconic color images are composites of multiple black-and-white exposures taken through different filters and then colorized by scientists to highlight features.
Who controls the Hubble telescope now?
Flight operations are managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The science operations are conducted by the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland.
Why is the Hubble telescope so important?
It is important because it operates above Earth’s distorting atmosphere, giving it an clear view of the cosmos. Its data has transformed our understanding of the universe’s age, size, and evolution, and it has made astronomy accessible to the public.
Will Hubble be replaced?
Hubble’s successor for infrared astronomy is the James Webb Space Telescope, launched in 2021. However, Hubble is not directly replaced; the two telescopes complement each other. NASA is also planning the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope for wide-field surveys.
How long will the Hubble telescope last?
Engineers estimate Hubble could remain functional into the late 2030s. Its eventual fate is to have its orbit decay and re-enter Earth’s atmosphere, likely with a controlled assist from a future spacecraft to ensure safe disposal over an ocean.