⏰ when
When Was the Hubble Space Telescope Launched?
Quick Answer
The Hubble Space Telescope was launched on 24 April 1990 aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery.
The Full Story
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope was deployed into low Earth orbit on 24 April 1990. A flaw in its primary mirror was corrected during a dramatic servicing mission in December 1993. Since then, Hubble has made over 1.5 million observations, helping determine the age of the universe (about 13.8 billion years), discovering that the expansion of the universe is accelerating, and capturing iconic images of nebulae and distant galaxies. Its successor, the James Webb Space Telescope, launched in December 2021.
Key Facts
1.Hubble orbits about 540 km above Earth, circling the planet every 95 minutes.
2.The mirror flaw was just 2.2 micrometres — smaller than a human hair — but devastating for image quality.
3.Five servicing missions between 1993 and 2009 kept Hubble operational.
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"Hubble's Journey — From Blurry Start to Cosmic Revelations"
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