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Post by ~*~Kit_The_Kat~*~ on Nov 9, 2003 8:16:39 GMT -5
Vision Becomes Reality In the 1970s the European Space Agency and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration began working together to design and build what would become the Hubble Space Telescope. On April 25, 1990, five astronauts aboard the space shuttle Discovery deployed the eagerly anticipated telescope in an orbit roughly 380 miles (600 km) above the Earth's surface. That deployment and, later, the unprecedented images that Hubble delivered represented the fulfillment of a 50-year dream and more than two decades of dedicated collaboration between scientists, engineers, contractors, and institutions from all over the world. ![]() hubble.stsci.edu/reference_desk/facts_.and._figures/telescope_history/graphics/clean_room_shot.jpg [/img] The Hubble Space Telescope in Lockheed's cleanroom. Hubble’s Job Description Explore the solar system. Measure the age and size of the universe. Search for our cosmic roots. Chart the evolution of the universe. Unlock the mysteries of galaxies, stars, planets, and life itself. |
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Post by ~*~Kit_The_Kat~*~ on Nov 9, 2003 8:21:53 GMT -5
The Man: NASA named the world's first space-based optical telescope after American astronomer Edwin P. Hubble (1889–1953). Dr. Hubble confirmed an "expanding" universe, which provided the foundation for the Big Bang theory. ![]() hubble.stsci.edu/reference_desk/facts_.and._figures/quick_facts/graphics/edwin_hubble.jpg [/img] "Scientists believe our universe began with a “big bang” some 12 to 15 billion years ago. If all the events in the history of the universe until now were squeezed into 24 hours, Earth wouldn’t form until late afternoon and humans would have existed for only 2 seconds." The Mission: Launch: April 24, 1990 from space shuttle Discovery (STS-31) Deployment: April 25, 1990 Mission Duration: Up to 20 years Servicing Mission 1: December 1993 Servicing Mission 2: February 1997 Servicing Mission 3A: December 1999 Servicing Mission 3B: February 2002 The Size: Length: 43.5 ft (13.2 m) Weight: 24,500 lb (11,110 kg) Maximum Diameter: 14 ft (4.2 m) Hubble is nearly the size of a large school bus—but it can fit inside a space shuttle cargo bay. The Cost at Launch: $1.5 billion |
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Post by ~*~Kit_The_Kat~*~ on Nov 9, 2003 8:27:03 GMT -5
![]() hubble.stsci.edu/reference_desk/facts_.and._figures/quick_facts/graphics/hst.jpg [/img] The Hubble Space Telescope whirls around Earth at a speed of 5 miles per second. If cars moved that fast, a coast-to-coast trip across the continental United States would take only 10 minutes. Orbit: At an altitude of 380 statute miles (612 km), inclined 28.5 degrees to the equator (low-Earth orbit) Time to Complete One Orbit: 97 minutes Speed: 17,500 mph (28,000 kph) Optical capabilities: Hubble Can’t Observe: The Sun or Mercury, which is too close to the Sun Sensitivity to Light: Ultraviolet through infrared (110–2,500 nanometers) First Image: May 20, 1990: Star Cluster NGC 3532 The most frequently observed celestial object is Earth. Earth is observed regularly for calibration—to make sure that all the charge-coupled detectors (CCDs) are working properly. The images from these "test" observations show no detail. Data Statistics: Each day, Hubble transmits enough data to fill 10,000 standard computer diskettes—the equivalent of 5 encyclopedias. This rapidly growing collection of pictures and data is stored on optical disks. |
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Post by ~*~Kit_The_Kat~*~ on Nov 9, 2003 8:31:42 GMT -5
Power needs:
Energy source: the Sun
Mechanism: two 22-foot solar panels
Power usage: 3,000 watts
In an average orbit, Hubble uses about the same amount of energy as 30 household light bulbs.
Pointing accuracy:
In order to take images of distant, faint objects, Hubble must be extremely steady and accurate. The telescope is able to lock onto a target without deviating more than 7/1000th of an arcsecond, or about the width of a human hair seen at a distance of 1 mile.
Pointing the Hubble Space Telescope and locking onto distant celestial targets is like holding a laser light steady on a dime that is 200 miles away.
Hubble's mirrors:
Primary Mirror
Diameter: 94.5 in (2.4 m)
Weight: 1,825 lb (828 kg)
Secondary Mirror
Diameter: 12 in (0.3 m)
Weight: 27.4 lb (12.3 kg)
Hubble's two mirrors were ground so that they do not deviate from a perfect curve by more than 1/800,000ths of an inch. If Hubble’s primary mirror were scaled up to the diameter of the Earth, the biggest bump would be only six inches tall.
Power storage:
Batteries: 6 nickel-hydrogen (NiH)
Storage capacity: equal to 20 car batteries
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Post by ~*~Kit_The_Kat~*~ on Apr 23, 2004 8:46:39 GMT -5
Happy 14th birthday, Hubble! Saturday April 24th will mark Hubble's 14th year in space..... I can't believe it's been that long already! I'll post more info soon.
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Post by wildcat14 on Aug 11, 2004 22:44:01 GMT -5
looks like hubbles days are numbered, i read some where nasa doesn't want to fix hubble when it breaks
it costs to much. thier launching a new telescope
in the future, going to capture picture farther out in space go to cnn. com and click on science and space
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Post by ~*~Kit_The_Kat~*~ on Aug 14, 2004 20:29:02 GMT -5
thanks for the update veg.
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Post by wildcat14 on Aug 14, 2004 21:28:18 GMT -5
anytime kat
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Post by wowposter on Sept 3, 2008 10:56:53 GMT -5
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Post by wowposter on Sept 10, 2008 17:06:35 GMT -5
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