The Hubble Space Telescope is an amazing space-based instrument that helps us explore the Universe. This telescope is a team effort between the European Space Agency(ESA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA). Project planning began in the 1970’s but it was not launched until 1990 when Space Shuttle Discovery released it on April 24th.

The telescope is named after Edwin Hubble, an American astronomer, who studied other galaxies using land-based telescopes. He was the first to provide evidence about the expanding universe.

This telescope cost $1.6 billion to build, weighs one ton (0.907 metric tons), and is supposed to last for 15 years. It has a primary mirror that is eight feet (2.4 m) wide. Images recorded on the wide field planetary camera are saved in a computer and are then sent to the Space Telescope Science Institute at John Hopkins University in Baltimore and the Goddard Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Since the Hubble’s photographs are taken in space, they are not blurred by the Earth’s atmosphere.

The first pictures coming from Hubble were not as clear as they were supposed to be. This was because the large mirror had a flaw and could not be focused properly. The telescope wiggled and the guidance system was not working correctly. The Space Shuttle Endeavor completed a service mission (STS-61) in December, 1993, to correct the problems. The pictures became much clearer.

When it was designed, scientists planned on improving the telescope’s equipment. The 1993 service mission was earlier than planned. A 1997 mission (STS-82) by the Space Shuttle Discovery made more improvements. In November, 1999, the telescope was unable to operate due to faulty gyroscopes. A shuttle mission(STS-103) in December, 1999, installed new gyroscopes, voltage regulators, a solid-state recorder, a radio transmitter, an onboard computer, guidance sensor, and insulation. Pictures are once more available.

The Hubble takes pictures of galaxies, stars, and our own solar system. It has taken pictures of supernovas and possible black holes. Hubble took the first pictures of the planet Pluto. Its pictures have spotted an oxygen atmosphere around Jupiter’s moon, Europa. Some of the most famous pictures were taken in July, 1994, when the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet hit Jupiter. In January, 1999, the Hubble Deep Field South experiments provided a new estimate of the number of galaxies in the universe. Astronomers now think there are 125 billion galaxies.

A new pair of Earth-based telescopes, the Gemini twins, located in Hawaii and Chile, are projected to provide photographs that meet or exceed those provided by Hubble. These new telescope developments do not diminish Hubble's contribution to understanding our Universe. The Hubble Space Telescope continues to be an important space-based instrument.

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