"Liftoff of the Space Shuttle Discovery with the Hubble Space Telescope, our window on the universe!"
Since its launch in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has revolutionized our understanding of the cosmos.
An off-world observatory designed to be serviced and repaired in space...
...Hubble would view the universe with unprecedented clarity.
"Discovery you're go for umbilical disconnect."
...Hubble would view the universe with unprecedented clarity.
But soon after launch, it became obvious that Hubble’s mirror had a slight flaw, which meant its images were blurry.
To fix Hubble’s vision, engineers designed the Corrective Optics Axial Replacement (COSTAR)...
...and the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) to compensate for the mirror’s imperfection.
But designing them was only half the challenge. The delicate repair in space could only be accomplished by highly trained astronauts.
"Liftoff of the Space Shuttle Endeavour on an ambitious mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope!"
Matching Hubble’s speed of 17,000 mph, the crew of the Space Shuttle Endeavour captured the telescope and secured it in the cargo bay.
The astronauts installed COSTAR and WFPC2, and made other important improvements to the telescope.
The repair was a success and Hubble’s mission could resume with the clarity that astronomers had longed for.
In the decades since, Hubble would be repaired and upgraded four more times.
"Liftoff! Discovery now on its way to service nasa's Hubble Space Telescope!"
"Liftoff of the Space Shuttle discovery!"
"Liftoff of Space Shuttle Columbia!"
"Liftoff of space shuttle Atlantis
the final visit to enhance the vision of Hubble to the deepest grandeur of our universe!"
Each servicing mission gave us new confidence in what human beings could achieve in space…
...and helped Hubble deepen our understanding of the universe.
Hubble continues its remarkable scientific mission, allowing us to behold the mystery and majesty of space.
[ INTENSE MUSIC ]