Hubble Space Telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST or Hubble) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It was not the first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most versatile, renowned as a vital research tool and as a public relations boon for astronomy. The Hubble Space Telescope is named after astronomer Edwin Hubble and is one of NASA's Great Observatories. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) selects Hubble's targets and processes the resulting data, while the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) controls the spacecraft. Hubble features a 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) mirror, and its five main instruments observe in the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Hubble's orbit outside the distortion of Earth's atmosphere allows it to capture extremely high-resolution images with substantially lower background light than ground-based telescopes. It has recorded some of the most detailed visible light images, allowing a deep view into space. Many Hubble observations have led to breakthroughs in astrophysics, such as determining the rate of expansion of the universe. The Hubble Space Telescope was funded and built in the 1970s by NASA with contributions from the European Space Agency. Its intended launch was in 1983, but the project was beset by technical delays, budget problems, and the 1986 Challenger disaster. Hubble was launched on STS-31 in 1990, but its main mirror had been ground incorrectly, resulting in spherical aberration that compromised the telescope's capabilities. The optics were corrected to their intended quality by a servicing mission, STS-61, in 1993. Hubble is the only telescope designed to be maintained in space by astronauts. Five Space Shuttle missions repaired, upgraded, and replaced systems on the telescope, including all five of the main instruments. The fifth mission was initially canceled on safety grounds following the Columbia disaster (2003), but after NASA administrator Michael D. Griffin approved it, the servicing mission was completed in 2009. Hubble completed 30 years of operation in April 2020 and is predicted to last until 2030 to 2040. Hubble is the visible light telescope in NASA's Great Observatories program; other parts of the spectrum are covered by the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the Spitzer Space Telescope (which covers the infrared bands). The mid-IR-to-visible band successor to the Hubble telescope is the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which was launched on December 25, 2021, with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope due to follow in 2027.

Infobox

Mission type

Astronomy

Operator

STScI

COSPAR ID

1990-037B

SATCAT no.

20580

Website

nasa.gov/hubblehubblesite.org

Mission duration

35 years, 7 months, 17 days (ongoing)

Manufacturer

Lockheed Martin (spacecraft)Perkin-Elmer (optics)

Launch mass

11,110 kg (24,490 lb)

Dimensions

13.2 m × 4.2 m (43 ft × 14 ft)

Power

2,800 watts

Launch date

April 24, 1990, 12:33:51 UTC

Rocket

Space Shuttle Discovery(STS-31)

Launch site

Kennedy, LC-39B

Contractor

Rockwell International

Deployment date

April 25, 1990

Entered service

May 20, 1990; 35 years ago (May 20, 1990)

Decay date

2030s (estimated)

Reference system

Geocentric orbit

Regime

Low Earth orbit

Periapsis altitude

537.0 km (333.7 mi)

Apoapsis altitude

540.9 km (336.1 mi)

Inclination

28.47°

Period

95.42 minutes

Type

Ritchey–Chrétien reflector

Diameter

2.4 m (7 ft 10 in)

Focal length

57.6 m (189 ft)

Focal ratio

mw- f/24

Collecting area

4.0 m2 (43 sq ft)

Wavelengths

Near-infrared, visible light, ultraviolet

Instruments

InstrumentsNICMOSNear Infrared Camera and Multi-Object SpectrometerACSAdvanced Camera for SurveysWFC3Wide Field Camera 3COSCosmic Origins SpectrographSTISSpace Telescope Imaging SpectrographFGSFine Guidance Sensor

NICMOS

Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer

ACS

Advanced Camera for Surveys

WFC3

Wide Field Camera 3

COS

Cosmic Origins Spectrograph

STIS

Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph

FGS

Fine Guidance Sensor

Tables

· Future › Successors

Color

Visible spectrum range

Color

Visible spectrum range

Wavelength

violet

Visible spectrum range

violet

Visible spectrum range

380–450 nm

blue

Visible spectrum range

blue

Visible spectrum range

450–475 nm

cyan

Visible spectrum range

cyan

Visible spectrum range

476–495 nm

green

Visible spectrum range

green

Visible spectrum range

495–570 nm

yellow

Visible spectrum range

yellow

Visible spectrum range

570–590 nm

orange

Visible spectrum range

orange

Visible spectrum range

590–620 nm

red

Visible spectrum range

red

Visible spectrum range

620–750 nm

Visible spectrum range
Color	Wavelength
violet	380–450 nm
blue	450–475 nm
cyan	476–495 nm
green	495–570 nm
yellow	570–590 nm
orange	590–620 nm
red	620–750 nm

· Future › Successors

Name