Life of the Hubble Space Telescope by Athena Taylor by Athena Samantha Taylor

LIFE OF THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE ATHENA TAYLOR

CONTE

ENTS Introduction

1985-1990 Mission STS-31 1993 Mission STS-61 1997 Mission STS-82 1999 Mission STS-103 2002 Mission STS-109 2009 Mission STS-125

4 8 16 22 28 32

Overview Index

42 48

The Life of the Hubble Space Telescope Introduction

First conceived in the 1940s and initially called the Large Space Telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope took decades of planning and research before it launched on April 24, 1990. Since launch, Hubble has overcome its troubled beginnings to perform innumerable science observations that have revolutionized humanity’s understanding of the universe. From determining the age of the universe to observing dramatic changes on celestial bodies in our own solar system, Hubble has become one of humanity’s greatest scientific instruments

1985–1 To maintain and upgrade the space telescope, plans were made to conduct servicing missions in orbit versus returning the telescope to Earth and refurbishing it on the ground. It was an innovative concept that would be even easier on a budget. In the midst of this spirit of renovation, the space telescope was renamed the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). By 1985, the telescope was assembled and ready for launch.

The Life of the Hubble Space Telescope

1990

Mission STS-31

A. APRIL 25, 1990 The Hubble Space Telescope (HST), still in the grasp of Discovery’s remote manipulator system (RMS), is backdropped over Earth some 332 nautical miles below. In this scene, HST has deployed one of its solar array panels but is yet to have extended the second. This scene was captured with a 35mm camera aimed through an overhead window on the aft flight deck.

A. NOV. 27, 1993

B. DEC. 31, 1993

This comparison image of the core of the galaxy M100 shows the dramatic improvement in Hubble Space Telescope’s view of the universe after the first Hubble Servicing Mission in December 1993. The left image of spiral galaxy M100 is a view from Hubble’s original WFPC-1 camera in wide-field mode on Nov. 27, 1993, just a few days prior to the STS-61 servicing mission. The effects of optical aberration in Hubble’s 8-foot primary mirror blur starlight, smear out fine detail, and limit the telescope’s ability to see faint structures

The image on the right, taken Dec. 31, 1993, was from the Wide Field and Planetary Camera (WFPC-2) installed during the servicing mission. The newer image demonstrated that the corrective optics compensated fully for the aberration in Hubble’s primary mirror, allowing the telescope for the first time to cleanly resolve faint structures as small as 30 lightyears across in a galaxy tens of millions of light-years away.

However, in 1986 disaster struck. The Challenger accident forced NASA to ground the space shuttle fleet for two years. The HST Project used that time to perform further work on the telescope. Solar panels were improved with new solar cell technology. The aft shroud (the end of the telescope that houses the science instruments) was modified to make instrument replacement during servicing easier. Computers and communication systems were upgraded. The space telescope was subjected to further stress tests to prepare for the harsh conditions of liftoff and space.

controlled from inside the shuttle cabin by the astronaut crew members, held Hubble above the cargo bay during pre-deployment procedures, which included the extension of solar array panels and antennae, before releasing the telescope into space.

Finally, on April 24, 1990, Space shuttle Discovery (on mission STS31) launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying five astronauts and the Hubble Space Telescope. The next day, Hubble was deployed from the space shuttle Discovery. The Canadian-built Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm,

On May 20, 1990, The “first light” image from Hubble was taken with the Wide Field and Planetary Camera to assist in focusing the telescope. The image illustrated Hubble’s improved resolution compared to ground-based observatories, showing that its images were roughly 50 percent sharper than ground-based images. But on June 20, 1990, NASA announced that Hubble’s primary mirror had an imperfection called spherical aberration, which affected the clarity of the telescope’s images. The curvature of the mirror was off by 2 microns, or 1/50th the width of a human hair, making images slightly blurry.

The Life of the Hubble Space Telescope

Mission STS-31

B A

1993 Shortly after the Hubble Space Telescope was deployed in 1990, the observatory’s primary mirror was discovered to have an aberration that affected the clarity of the telescope’s early images. Fortunately, Hubble was the first telescope designed to be visited in space by astronauts to perform repairs, replace parts and update its technology with new instruments. Astronauts first visited Hubble in orbit in December 1993. Including that trip, there have been five astronaut servicing missions to Hubble

The Life of the Hubble Space Telescope

dec 02–13

Mission STS-61

A. DECEMBER 1993 Backdropped against the blackness of space, the Space Shuttle Endeavour nears the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). With the aid of the Remote Manipulator System (RMS), the STS-61 crew members later grappled the spacecraft and berthed it in the cargo bay for five days of servicing done by four spacewalkers in December 1993.

A. APRIL 14, 1993 Despite the complications with the primary mirror, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope (HST) still provided astronomers with their clearest look yet at a vast cloud of gas being heated by the birth of a new star. Called Herbig-Haro object #2 (HH2), the cloud is heated by shock waves from jets of high speed gas being ejected from a newborn star. Because the star itself is embedded in a dusty cocoon, HH-2 provides the only visible clues to physical processes occurring in the young star.

HUBBLE WAS THE FIRST TELESCOPE TO BE VISITED IN SPACE When Hubble began returning science data to Earth, astronomers did not see crisp, point-like images of stars. Instead, they saw stars surrounded by large, fuzzy halos of light. They soon realized that this issue was created because the edges of the telescope’s primary mirror were ground too flat by just a fraction of the width of a human hair. Although perfectly smooth, the mirror could not focus light to a single point. It had been ground to the wrong shape because of a flaw introduced into the test equipment used to evaluate the mirror’s curvature prior to launch.

The Life of the Hubble Space Telescope

Mission STS-61

A. DECEMBER, 1993

B. MARCH 1, 1979

A damaged solar array panel removed from the Hubble Space Telescope appears over northern Sudan. Kathryn C. Thornton, just out of the frame at top right, watched the panel after having releasing it moments earlier on STS-61 in December 1993.

This photograph shows the Hubble Space Telescope’s primary mirror being ground at the Perkin-Elmer Corporation’s large optics fabrication facility. After the 8-foot diameter mirror was ground to shape and polished, the glass surface was coated with a reflective layer of aluminum and a protective layer of magnesium fluoride, 0.1- and 0.025-micrometers thick, respectively.

The Life of the Hubble Space Telescope

Before NASA even launched Hubble, engineers were hard at work building an improved, second-generation camera for the space telescope. This instrument, called the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2), was meant for installation by astronauts at a future date. Optics experts realized they could build corrective optics into this camera to counteract the flaw in the primary mirror. Meanwhile, Hubble scientists and engineers devised a set of nickeland quarter-sized mirrors to remedy the effects of the primary mirror on

Hubble’s other instruments. Labeled the Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement (COSTAR), this refrigerator-sized device could deploy the corrective mirrors into the light paths of the telescope’s other science instruments to focus their images properly. In December 1993 the first servicing mission (SM1) launched. This mission is likewise known as mission STS-61. As the first in a series of planned visits to the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope, this mission’s most important objective was to install two devices to fix Hubble’s vision problem. Because Hubble’s primary mirror was incorrectly shaped, the telescope could not focus all the light from an object to a single sharp point. Instead, it saw a fuzzy halo around objects it observed.

Mission STS-61

Although engineers designed Hubble with many replaceable components, the primary mirror was not one of them. However, the ability for astronauts to upgrade the observatory in orbit ultimately led to a solution for this seemingly unconquerable problem.

A. DECEMBER 1993 Kathryn C. Thornton works with the specialized crew aids and tools associated with servicing tasks on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) during the fourth extravehicular activity (EVA) on the eleven-day mission of STS-61 in December 1993.

THIS MISSION’S MOST IMPORTANT OBJECTIVE WAS TO FIX HUBBLE’S VISION PROBLEM

C. DECEMBER 1993

Anchored on the end of the Space Shuttle Endeavour’s Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm, Jeffrey A. Hoffman (foreground) prepares to install the new Wide Field and Planetary Camera (WFPC II) into the empty cavity (top left) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). WFPC I is seen temporarily stowed at the bottom right. Story Musgrave is setting up a Portable Foot Restraint (PFR) as his image is reflected in the shiny surface of the telescope.

Earth is partially illuminated but the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and the Space Shuttle Endeavour are in darkness in this photograph taken during the fourth of five space walks on the first HST servicing mission in December 1993.

The Life of the Hubble Space Telescope

B. DECEMBER 1993

Mission STS-61

Once astronauts from the space shuttle Endeavour caught up with the orbiting telescope, they hauled it into the shuttle’s cargo bay and spent five days tuning it up. They installed two new devices — the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) and the Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement (COSTAR). Both WFPC2 and the COSTAR apparatus were designed to compensate for the primary mirror’s incorrect shape.

Also installed during Servicing Mission 1 were new solar arrays to reduce the

jitter caused by excessive flexing of the solar panels during the telescope’s orbital transition from cold darkness into warm daylight. Spacewalkers also installed new gyroscopes to help point and track the telescope, along with fuse plugs and electronic units. This successful mission not only improved Hubble’s vision, which led to a string of remarkable discoveries in a very short time, but it also validated the effectiveness of on-orbit servicing

1997 In February 1997 the second servicing mission (SM2) took place, resulting in the replacement of degrading spacecraft components, and the installation of new instruments such as the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS). STIS separated the light the telescope took in, and “dissected” it so that the composition, temperature, motion, and other properties could be analyzed. With NICMOS astronomers could see the first clear views of the universe at near-infrared wavelengths.

The Life of the Hubble Space Telescope

feb 11–21

Mission STS-82

A A. DECEMBER 17, 1997 Now, a dazzling collection of detailed views from the Hubble telescope reveals surprisingly intricate, glowing patterns spun into space by aging stars: pinwheels, lawn sprinkler-style jets, elegant goblet shapes, and even some that look like a rocket engine’s exhaust. In this picture of M2-9, twin lobes of material emanate from a central, dying star. Astronomers have dubbed this object the “Twin Jet Nebula” because of the shape of the lobes.

A. FEBRUARY, 1997 After departing the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), the Space Shuttle Discovery moves slowly -- about one mile per hour -- along the KSC Crawlerway toward Launch Pad 39A in preparation for the STS-82 mission. The Shuttle is on a mobile launch platform, and the entire assemblage is being carried by a large tracked vehicle called the Crawler Transporter. A seven-member crew of astronauts will perform the second servicing of the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope (HST) during the scheduled ten-day STS-82 flight in February 1997.

Hubble’s first generation cameras gave us remarkable views of very distant galaxies. However, the light from the most distant galaxies is shifted to infrared wavelengths by the expanding universe. To see these galaxies, Hubble needed to be fitted with an instrument that could observe infrared light. During a 10-day mission, seven astronauts aboard the space shuttle Discovery installed two technologically advanced instruments. The Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) would be able to observe the universe in the

infrared wavelengths. The second instrument — the versatile Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) — would be used to take detailed pictures of celestial objects and hunt for black holes. Both instruments had optics that corrected for the flawed primary mirror. In addition, they featured technology that wasn’t available when scientists designed and built the original Hubble instruments in the late 1970s — and opened up a broader viewing window for Hubble.

The Life of the Hubble Space Telescope

Mission STS-82

A. FEBRUARY 19, 1997 Flyaround of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) after deployment on this second servicing mission (HST SM-02).

HUBBLE NEEDED TO BE FITTED WITH AN INSTRUMENT TO SEE INFRARED A

C. OCTOBER 8, 1997

Joseph Tanner, of STS-82, in a spacewalk to do maintenance on the Hubble Space Telescope. This photo taken by his

Astronomers using the Hubble telescope have identified what may be the most luminous star known, a celestial mammoth that releases up to 10 million times the power of the Sun and is big enough to fill the diameter of Earth’s orbit. The image, taken in infrared light, also reveals a bright nebula [magentacolored material], created by extremely massive stellar eruptions. The nebula is so big (4 light-years) that it would nearly span the distance from the Sun to Alpha Centauri, the nearest star to Earth’s solar system.

The Life of the Hubble Space Telescope

B. FEBRAUARY 16, 1997

Mission STS-82

The new instruments replaced the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph and the Faint Object Spectrograph. Also installed during Servicing Mission 2 were: • A refurbished Fine Guidance Sensor, one of three essential instruments used to provide pointing information for the spacecraft, to keep it pointing on target, and to calculate celestial distances • A Solid State Recorder (SSR) to replace one of Hubble’s data recorders (an SSR is more flexible and can store 10 times more data)

• A refurbished, spare Reaction Wheel Assembly — part of the Pointing Control Subsystem

1999 On November 13, 1999, the fourth of six gyroscopes (gyros) failed on Hubble, and the telescope temporarily closed its eyes on the universe. Gyros measure the spacecraft’s rate of motion and help point Hubble toward its observation target. Unable to conduct science without three working gyros, Hubble entered a state of dormancy called safe mode. Essentially, Hubble “went to sleep” while it waited for help.

The Life of the Hubble Space Telescope

dec 19–27

Mission STS-103

A. 1995 – JUNE 3, 1999 In 1995, the majestic spiral galaxy NGC 4414 was imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope as part of the HST Key Project on the Extragalactic Distance Scale. Images were obtained with Hubble’s Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 through three different color filters. In 1999, the Hubble Heritage Team revisited NGC 4414 and completed its portrait by observing the other half with the same filters as were used in 1995.

A. DECEMBER 1999

B. DECEMBER 19, 1999

The gold of the solar arrays, illuminated from behind by the sunrise, provides stark contrast to the blackness of space in this scene, photographed at the completion of the servicing of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in 1999. Arching between the telescope and one of the solar panels is the thin line of Earth’s atmosphere.

The Space Shuttle Discovery, framed by Florida foliage, clears the launch structure and heads toward the clear night sky to begin the 96th mission in the STS program. Liftoff occurred at 7:50 p.m. (EST), December 19, 1999 from Launch Pad 39B. Onboard were astronauts Curtis L. Brown, Jr.; Scott J. Kelly; Steven L. Smith; C. Michael Foale; John M. Grunsfeld; Claude Nicollier; and Jean-Francois Clervoy. Claude Nicollier and Jean-Francois Clervoy. Swtizerland’s Nicollier and France’s Clervoy represent the European Space Agency (ESA).

Space Shuttle Discovery’s crew witnessed this bright full moon from orbit during a December 1999 mission that included servicing the Hubble Space Telescope (the top of HST is seen on the right). To the left is Earth’s horizon. The full moon on that day, December. 22, 1999, was brighter than average because it was full at nearly the same time it was at its closest to the Earth and when the Earth was relatively close to the sun.

The Life of the Hubble Space Telescope

C. DECEMBER 22, 1999

Mission STS-103

NASA decided to split the Servicing Mission 3 (SM3) into two parts, SM3A and SM3B, after the third of Hubble’s six gyroscopes failed. (At that time, Hubble needed three gyroscopes to observe a celestial target.) The second part of the mission, SM3B, took place March 1–12, 2002.

On November 13, 1999, the Hubble Space Telescope was placed into safe mode after the failure of a fourth gyroscope. In safe mode Hubble could not observe targets, but its safety was

preserved. This protective mode allows ground control of the telescope, but with only two gyros working, Hubble cannot be aimed with the precision necessary for scientific observations of the sky. Controllers closed the aperture door to protect the optics and aligned the spacecraft to ensure that Hubble’s solar panels would receive adequate power from the Sun. In the first of the two-part mission, the most pressing task was the replacement of the gyroscopes. The

A. DECEMBER 21, 1999 This image shows the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) being berthed in Discovery’s payload bay on December 21, 1999. It was downlinked at the completion of the third HST servicing mission’s first space walk on the following day by the busy STS-103 astronauts.

HUBBLE ENTERED A STATE OF DORMACY CALLED SAFE MODE

The Hubble telescope reopened its “eye” on the universe following a successful December 1999 servicing mission by imaging a Sun-like star, dubbed NGC 2392, and a hefty cluster of galaxies, Abell 2218.

The Life of the Hubble Space Telescope

B. JANUARY 25, 2000

Mission STS-103

crew, two of whom were Hubble repair veterans, replaced all six gyroscopes — as well as one of Hubble’s three Fine Guidance Sensors, which allow fine pointing and keep Hubble stable during observations, and a transmitter. The astronauts also installed an advanced central computer, a digital data recorder, an electronics enhancement kit, battery improvement kits, and new outer layers of thermal protection. Hubble was as good as new.

2002 Hubble’s third servicing mission was originally conceived as one of maintenance, but when the fourth gyro failed NASA split the mission into two parts: Servicing Mission 3A (SM3A) flew in December 1999 and Servicing Mission 3B (SM3B) in March 2002. During SM3B, astronauts installed a new science instrument called the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). ACS sees in wavelengths ranging from visible to far-ultraviolet, and can produce 10 times the science results in the same amount of time than the camera it replaced, the Faint Object Camera (FOC).

The Life of the Hubble Space Telescope

mar 01–12

Mission STS-109

MARCH 9, 2002 Hubble Space Telescope (HST), appearing as a tiny, almost indistinguishable, glowing mass, distances itself from the Space Shuttle Columbia following its release on March 9, 2002 after servicing mission 3B. This marked the fifth time a shuttle has bidden farewell to the telescope after its launch in 1990 and four successful servicing missions.

The Hubble Space Telescope is seen in the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle Columbia during STS-109 in 2002. Each set of solar array panels will be replaced during one of the space walks planned for the coming week. The crew aimed various cameras out the shuttle’s aft flight deck windows to take a series of survey-type photos, the first close-up images of the telescope since December 1999.

The Hubble Space Telescope, sporting new rigid solar arrays and other new hardware, begins its separation from the Space Shuttle Columbia. The STS-109 crew deployed the telescope back into space at 4:04 a.m. CST on March 9, 2002. Afterward, the seven crew members began to focus their attention on their trip home, scheduled for March 12. The STS-109 astronauts conducted five space walks to service and upgrade Hubble.

Servicing Mission 3B was the fourth visit to Hubble. NASA split the original Servicing Mission 3 into two parts and conducted the first part — Servicing Mission 3A — in December 1999.

Power Control Unit, which distributes electricity from the solar arrays and batteries to other parts of the telescope. Replacing the original unit, which has been on the job for nearly 12 years, required the telescope to be completely powered down for the first time since its launch in 1990.

The astronauts’ principal task was to install a new science instrument called the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). The first new instrument to be installed in Hubble since 1997, ACS brought the nearly 12-year-old telescope into the 21st century. With its wide field of view, sharp image quality, and enhanced sensitivity, ACS doubled Hubble’s field of view and collects data 10 times faster than the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2), the telescope’s earlier surveying instrument. Spacewalking astronauts replaced the large, flexible, eight-year-old Solar Array Panels with smaller, rigid ones that produce 30 percent more power. They also replaced the outdated

Astronauts also installed a new cooling system for the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS), which became inactive in 1999 when it depleted the 230-pound block of nitrogen ice that had cooled it since 1997. The new cryocooler extended the life of Hubble’s infrared camera. Spacewalkers also replaced one of the four Reaction Wheel Assemblies that make up Hubble’s Pointing Control System. Flight software commands the reaction wheels to steer the telescope by spinning in one direction, which causes Hubble to spin in the other direction.

Mission STS-109

B. MARCH 9, 2002

The Life of the Hubble Space Telescope

A. MARCH 9, 2002

2009 Servicing Mission 4 (SM4), the fifth visit to Hubble, occurred in May 2009. Astronauts installed two new scientific instruments: the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) and Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). Two failed instruments, the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), were brought back to life by the firstever on-orbit instrument repairs. In order to prolong Hubble’s life, other components were replaced including new batteries, new gyroscopes, and a new science computer. In addition, a device was attached to the base of the telescope to facilitate deorbiting when the telescope is eventually decommissioned.

The Life of the Hubble Space Telescope

may 11–24

Mission STS-125

A. NOVEMBER 2008 The Hubble Space Telescope has imaged striking details of the famed planetary nebula designated NGC 2818, which lies in the southern constellation of Pyxis (the Compass). This Hubble image was taken with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2. The colors in the image represent a range of emissions coming from the clouds of the nebula: red represents nitrogen, green represents hydrogen, and blue represents oxygen.

SM4 WAS THE CUMULATION OF A LONG EFFORT TO PROVDE THE TELESCOPE WITH ONE FINAL SERVICING MISSION

The Life of the Hubble Space Telescope

A. MAY 11, 2009 Sandwiched by billowing clouds above and smoke and steam clouds below, space shuttle Atlantis hurtles past the lightning mast on top of the fixed service structure on Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Atlantis will rendezvous with NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope on the STS-125 service mission.

Mission STS-125

Servicing Mission 4 (SM4) was the culmination of a long effort to provide the telescope with one, final servicing mission. Originally scheduled for 2004, SM4 was postponed and then cancelled after the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia. Following the successful recovery of the shuttle program and a re-examination of SM4 risks, NASA approved another mission. This was perhaps Hubble’s most challenging and intense servicing mission, with a multitude of tasks to be completed over the course of five spacewalks.

A. MAY 19, 2009 This photo provides a final look at the Hubble Space Telescope prior to its release following a full week’s work. Atlantis’ Remote Manipulator System arm, instrumental in the capture and impending release of the giant orbital observatory, is at the right edge of the frame.

An STS-125 crewmember onboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis snapped a still photo of the Hubble Space Telescope following grapple of the giant observatory by the shuttle’s Canadianbuilt Remote Manipulator System.

An STS-125 crew member aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis captured this still image of the Hubble Space Telescope as the two spacecraft began their relative separation on May 19, 2009, after having been linked together for the better part of a week. During the week, five spacewalks were performed to complete the final servicing mission for the orbital observatory.

Astronauts installed two new instruments on Hubble during SM4: Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS). These instruments made the observatory 100 times more powerful than when it was launched.

ultraviolet sensitivity at least 10 times, and up to 70 times when observing extremely faint objects.

Mission STS-125

C. MAY 19, 2009

The Life of the Hubble Space Telescope

B. MAY 13, 2009

WFC3 sees three different kinds of light: near-ultraviolet, visible and nearinfrared, though not simultaneously. The camera’s resolution and field of view is much greater than that of previous instruments. Astronauts removed Hubble’s Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) to make room for WFC3. COS, a spectrograph that breaks light into its component colors, revealing information about the object emitting the light, sees exclusively in ultraviolet light. COS improves Hubble’s

COS took the place of the device installed in Hubble during the first servicing mission to correct Hubble’s flawed mirror, the Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement (COSTAR). Since the first servicing mission, all of Hubble’s replacement instruments have had technology built into them to correct Hubble’s flawed vision, making COSTAR no longer necessary. In late September 2008, only two weeks before the mission was to launch, a malfunction occurred in one of the systems that commands the science instruments and directs the flow of data within the telescope.

A. MAY 19, 2009

B. MAY 10, 2009

An STS-125 crew member aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis snapped a still photo of the Hubble Space Telescope after it was grappled by the shuttle’s Canadian-built Remote Manipulator System. Credit: NASA

The Hubble community bids farewell to the soon-to-be decommissioned Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) onboard the Hubble Space Telescope. In tribute to Hubble’s longest-running optical camera, planetary nebula K 4-55 has been imaged as WFPC2’s final “pretty picture.”

This view shows the Hubble Space Telescope during separation from the shuttle Atlantis. The aperture door has been opened. The photo was taken on Flight Day 9 of the STS-125 mission.

to a backup system, but NASA was unwilling to leave the telescope without a spare. The mission was delayed until May while engineers and scientists tested and prepared an existing and nearly identical system. Astronauts were able to install the spare Science Instrument Command and Data Handling unit in addition to all previously scheduled tasks. During SM4, astronauts accomplished a feat never envisioned by the telescope creators: On-site repairs for two instruments, the Advanced Camera

for Surveys (ACS) and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS). Both had stopped working; ACS after an electrical short in 2007, and STIS after a power failure in 2004. To perform the repairs, astronauts had to access the interior of the instruments, switch out components and reroute power. The successful completion of this task, along with the addition of the two new instruments, gave Hubble a full complement of five functioning instruments for future observations.

Mission STS-125

The Life of the Hubble Space Telescope

C. MAY 19, 2009

This face-on spiral galaxy, called NGC 3982, is striking for its rich tapestry of star birth, along with its winding arms. NGC 3982 is located about 68 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. This color image is composed of exposures taken by the Hubble Space Telescope’s Wide Field Camera 3, the Advanced Camera for Surveys, and the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2. The observations were taken between March 2000 and August 2009.

Mission STS-125

One of the goals of SM4 was to reinforce and reinvigorate the telescope’s basic spaceflight systems. Astronauts replaced all of Hubble’s batteries, which were 18 years old, with new, improved ones. Astronauts installed six new gyroscopes, which |are used to point the telescope, and a Fine Guidance Sensor, which locks |onto stars as part of the pointing system. They covered key Hubble equipment bays with insulating panels called New Outer Blanket Layers, to replace protective blankets that had broken down over the course of their long exposure to the harsh conditions of space. They also installed a new device, the Soft Capture Mechanism, to allow a robotic spacecraft to attach itself to Hubble someday, once the telescope is at the end of its life, and guide its descent to Earth or boost it to a higher orbit.

The Life of the Hubble Space Telescope

A. OCTOBER 19, 2010

1985–1 1985-1990

1993

SPACE SHUTTLE: Discovery

SPACE SHUTTLE: Endeavour

CREW: Commander Loren J. Shriver, Pilot Charles F. Bolden, Jr., Mission Specialists Steven A. Hawley, Bruce McCandless II and Kathryn D. Sullivan.

CREW: Commander Richard O. Covey, Pilot Kenneth D. Bowersox, Payload Commander F. Story Musgrave, and Mission Specialists Kathryn C. Thornton, Claude Nicollier, Jeffrey A. Hoffman and Tom Akers

The primary payload, Hubble Space Telescope, deployed in a 380-statutemile orbit.

The first opportunity to conduct planned maintenance on the telescope. Astronauts installed new instruments, including equipment adjusted to correct for the flaw in Hubble’s primary mirror.

The Life of the Hubble Space Telescope

1999

Overview

1997

1999

SPACE SHUTTLE: Discovery

CREW: Commander Kenneth D. Bowersox, Pilot Scott J. Horowitz, Payload Commander Mark C. Lee, Mission Specialists Steven A.Hawley, Gregory J. Harbaugh, Steven L. Smith and Joseph R. Tanner

CREW: Commander Curtis L. Brown, Pilot Scott J. Kelly, Payload Commander Steven L. Smith, Mission Specialists C. Michael Foale, John M. Grunsfield, Claude Nicollier and JeanFrancois Clervoy

The installation of new instruments extended Hubble’s wavelength range into the near-infrared for imaging and spectroscopy, allowing scientists to probe the most distant reaches of the universe. The replacement of failed or degraded spacecraft components increased efficiency and performance.

What was originally conceived as a mission of preventive maintenance turned more urgent on Nov. 13, 1999, when the fourth of Hubble’s six gyros failed. Hubble requires at least three of its stabilizing gyros to conduct science. Hubble entered a state of dormancy called safe mode while the telescope waited for repairs. NASA split the third servicing mission into two parts to more quickly bring Hubble back into operation.

2002–2 2002 SPACE SHUTTLE: Columbia CREW: Commander Scott D. Altman, Pilot Duane G. Carey, Payload Commander John M. Grunsfeld, Mission Specialists Nancy J. Currie, James H. Newman, Richard M. Linnehan and Michael J. Massimino During SM3B, astronauts replaced Hubble’s solar panels and installed the Advanced Camera for Surveys, which took the place of Hubble’s Faint Object Camera, the telescope’s last

The Life of the Hubble Space Telescope

2009

Overview

2009 SPACE SHUTTLE: Atlantis CREW: Commander Scott D. Altman, Pilot Gregory C. Johnson, Payload Commander John M. Grunsfeld, Mission Specialists Michael J. Massimino, Andrew J. Feustel, Michael T. Good and K. Megan McArthur The Hubble Space Telescope was reborn with Servicing Mission 4 (SM4). The fifth and final servicing of the orbiting observatory flew aboard space shuttle Atlantis (STS-125) May 11–24, 2009. During SM4, two new scientific instruments were installed — the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) and Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). Two failed instruments, the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and the Advanced Camera

for Surveys (ACS), were revived by the first-ever on-orbit repairs. With these efforts, Hubble was brought to the apex of its scientific capabilities. To prolong Hubble’s life, new batteries, new gyroscopes, a new science computer, a refurbished Fine Guidance Sensor and new insulation on three electronics bays were also installed during the mission’s five spacewalks. Additionally, a device was attached to the base of the telescope to facilitate de-orbiting when the telescope is eventually decommissioned. The SM4 improvements should ensure the telescope’s continued success and hopefully allow for some overlap of scientific operations with Hubble’s imminent successor, the James Webb Space Telescope.

A. MARCH 11, 2021 Orbiting a red dwarf star 41 light-years away is an Earthsized, rocky exoplanet called GJ 1132 b. Scientists using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have found evidence this is not the planet’s original atmosphere, and that the first one was blasted away by blistering radiation from GJ 1132 b’s nearby parent star. The so-called “secondary atmosphere” is thought to be formed as molten lava beneath the planet’s surface continually oozes up through volcanic fissures. This is the first time a secondary atmosphere has been detected on a world outside our solar system.

Each of the servicing missions has been crucial to Hubble’s success and longevity. The servicing missions have enhanced the telescope’s science capabilities, leading to fascinating new discoveries about the universe. Hubble’s mission was to spend at least 15 years probing the farthest and faintest reaches of the cosmos. Hubble has far exceeded this goal, operating and observing the universe for over 30 years. During its time in orbit, the telescope has taken more than 1.4 million observations, and astronomers have used that data to publish more than 17,000 peer-reviewed scientific publications on a broad range of topics. With any piece of machinery that’s 30 years old comes some aging parts. No more servicing missions are scheduled to repair or replace equipment on Hubble. However, a dedicated team of engineers and scientists are continuously working to keep Hubble operating for as long as possible. For

example, Hubble’s engineers have figured out a way the telescope could continue observing the universe on only one gyro, using other types of sensors on the spacecraft to make up for gyros that have failed. This and other innovations designed to extend the lifetime of Hubble’s equipment will keep the telescope exploring for years to come. While nearly impossible to provide a comprehensive list of all the scientific contributions Hubble has made so far during its career, the telescope’s observations have contributed to the understanding of the development and growth of galaxies, the presence of black holes in most galaxies, the birth of stars, and the atmospheric composition of planets outside our solar system. Hubble’s explorations have fundamentally changed our perception of the universe and will continue to reveal new insights for many more years.

The Life of the Hubble Space Telescope

Overview

INDEX ATHENA TAYLOR Beginning Graphic Design VISCOM 2001-001 | Spring 2021 TYPEFACES Bell Gothic Std | Chauncey Griffith TEXT Sourced Online: NASA.gov & Hubblesite.org IMAGES Sourced Online: Wikimedia Commons & Hubblesite.org School of the Art Institute of

FEBRUARY 19, 1997 The Hubble Space Telescope hovers at the boundary of Earth and space in this picture, taken after Hubble’s second servicing mission (SM2, STS-82) in 1997. Hubble drifts 343 miles (552 km) above the Earth’s surface, where it can avoid the atmosphere and clearly see objects in space.