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Hubble space telescope

Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope in orbit
The Hubble Space Telescope as seen from the departing Space Shuttle Atlantis, flying Servicing Mission 4 (STS-125), the sixth and final Hubble mission
Mission type Astronomy
Operator NASA · ESA · STScI
COSPAR ID 1990-037B
SATCAT no. 20580
Website nasa.gov/hubble
hubblesite.org
spacetelescope.org
Mission duration Elapsed: 26 years, 10 months, 19 days
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer Lockheed (spacecraft)
Perkin-Elmer (optics)
Launch mass 11,110 kg (24,490 lb)
Dimensions 13.2 × 4.2 m (43.3 × 13.8 ft)
Power 2,800 watts
Start of mission
Launch date April 24, 1990, 12:33:51 (1990-04-24UTC12:33:51) UTC
Rocket Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-31)
Launch site Kennedy LC-39B
Deployment date April 25, 1990
Entered service May 20, 1990
End of mission
Decay date estimated 2030–2040
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Low Earth
Semi-major axis 6,919 km (4,299 mi)
Eccentricity 0.000283
Perigee 539 km (335 mi)
Apogee 543 km (337 mi)
Inclination 28.47°
Period 95.47 minutes
RAAN 342.12°
Argument of perigee 159.60°
Mean anomaly 334.64°
Mean motion 15.08 rev/day
Velocity 7.59 km/s (4.72 mi/s)
Epoch September 21, 2016, 13:51:39 UTC
Revolution no. 24,968
Main telescope
Type Ritchey–Chrétien reflector
Diameter 2.4 m (7.9 ft)
Focal length 57.6 m (189 ft)
Focal ratio f/24
Collecting area 4.5 m2 (48 sq ft)
Wavelengths Near-infrared, visible light, ultraviolet

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. Although not the first space telescope, Hubble is one of the largest and most versatile, and is well known as both a vital research tool and a public relations boon for astronomy. The HST is named after the astronomer Edwin Hubble, and is one of NASA's Great Observatories, along with the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the Spitzer Space Telescope.

With a 2.4-meter (7.9 ft) mirror, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared spectra. Hubble's orbit outside the distortion of Earth's atmosphere allows it to take extremely high-resolution images, with substantially lower background light than ground-based telescopes. Hubble has recorded some of the most detailed visible light images ever, allowing a deep view into space and time. Many Hubble observations have led to breakthroughs in astrophysics, such as accurately determining the rate of expansion of the universe.

The HST was built by the United States space agency NASA, with contributions from the European Space Agency. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) selects Hubble's targets and processes the resulting data, while the Goddard Space Flight Center controls the spacecraft.


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