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Named after the trailblazing astronomer Edwin P. Hubble (1889-1953), the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a large, space-based observatory which has revolutionized astronomy by providing unprecedented deep and clear views of the Universe, ranging from our own solar system to extremely remote fledgling galaxies forming not long after the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago.

NASA Updates Shuttle Target Launch Date for Hubble Mission NASA managers officially are targeting August 28, 2008, for the launch of the fifth and final space shuttle servicing mission (SM4) to the Hubble Space Telescope.

Launched in 1990 and greatly extended in its scientific powers through new instrumentation installed during four servicing missions with the Space Shuttle, the Hubble, in its sixteen years of operations, has validated Lyman Spitzer Jr.'s (1914-1997) original concept of a diversely instrumented observatory orbiting far above the distorting effects of the Earth’s atmosphere and returning data of unique scientific value.

Hubble's coverage of light of different colors (its "spectral range") extends from the ultraviolet, through the visible (to which our eyes are sensitive), and into the near-infrared. Hubble's primary mirror is 2.4 meters (94.5 inches) in diameter. Hubble is not large by ground-based standards but it achieves heroically in space. Hubble orbits Earth every 97 minutes, 575 kilometers (360 miles) above the Earth's surface.

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD performs the daily orbital operations, servicing mission development, and overall management of the Hubble Program. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, MD develops and executes Hubble's scientific program and is managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) under contract to NASA.




	NASA Goddard Provides Environmental Testing for Hubble Components (03.13.08) To prepare for Servicing Mission 4, new Hubble components must endure harsh tests at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. + Read More Hubble's In-flight Guidance from the Ground (02.21.08) The Hubble would not be able to do what it does without the help of a small group of dedicated engineers and technicians at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. + Read More Innovative Tools for an Out-of-This-World Job (01.24.2008) A team at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center designs and builds the special tools and aids astronauts need when they service the Hubble Space Telescope. + Read More + View Program News Archive Images of Hubble View images of Hubble and astronauts working on it. + View Images


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	+ Inspector General Hotline + Budgets, Strategic Plans and Accountability Reports + Freedom of Information Act + The President's Management Agenda + Privacy Policy and Important Notices		Content Manager: Lori Tyahla NASA Official: Malcolm Niedner Last Updated: February 15, 2008 + Contact Hubble Webmaster