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Hubble News

NASA Extends Hubble Space Telescope Science Operations Contract

NASA is extending its contract with the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy for the agency’s Hubble Space Telescope Science Operations activities at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Md., for 36 months.
NASA Schedules Hubble Science Update For May 31

NASA will host a Science Update Thursday, May 31, at 1:00 p.m. EDT to discuss new Hubble Space Telescope observations that allow astronomers to predict with certainty the next major cosmic event to affect our entire galaxy, sun, and solar system.
Astronomical Database Named for Sen. Mikulski

The archive is named in honor of the United States Senator from Maryland for her career-long achievements and for becoming the longest-serving woman in U.S. Congressional history.
Hubble Space Telescope Contributes to Nobel Prize in Physics

Observations made by Hubble of a special type of supernovae contributed to research on the expansion of the universe that was honored with the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Hubble Engineer Becomes a Knight

A longtime engineer for the Hubble Space Telescope received knighthood from Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands in June.
NASA Releases Stunning Hubble Telescope 20th Anniversary Book

NASA set out on a monumental journey with the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope in April 1990. Since then, it has captured the minds and imaginations of people around the world.
Hubble 3D Blasts Off Again

Hubble 3D will open at additional IMAX theaters on Aug. 20 for a special limited time engagement.
NASA Provides Venerable Hubble Hardware to Smithsonian

Two key instruments from Hubble have a new home in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum after being returned to Earth aboard space shuttle Atlantis in May 2009.
Servicing Mission Observatory Verification (SMOV) Update

Hubble is getting closer to completing the calibrations for most of its instruments, and each day it draws nearer to becoming a fully functioning observatory again. In fact, in the upcoming weeks, Hubble will concentrate on making high-priority science observations and then finish the remaining instrument calibrations by early fall.
Servicing Mission Observatory Verification (SMOV) Update

As the first week of August comes to a close, most of Hubble’s science instruments have already completed or are close to completing their calibration activities. Each instrument has multiple channels that detect different wavelengths of light, and each channel must be tested and calibrated individually. While some instrument channels are still under evaluation, several others are already at work studying the universe.
Hubble Space Telescope Status Report

Hubble engineers are encouraged by the recent restart attempt of an instrument that has been inoperable since Sept. 10, 2008.
Hubble Space Telescope Status Report

The HST tiger team continues their investigation of a problem with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) that caused it to suspend operations on July 6.
Hubble Space Telescope Status Report

The HST tiger team continues their investigation of the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) anomaly which caused it to suspend operations on July 6. The team presented their status to the HST Project on July 20, and a recovery plan was approved.
Servicing Mission Observatory Verification (SMOV) Update

During Servicing Mission 4, astronauts replaced many key parts — batteries and gyroscopes, for example — that affect the spacecraft component of the Hubble Space Telescope. Testing and calibration for the spacecraft itself is now complete, and that aspect of Hubble is in excellent shape.
Servicing Mission Observatory Verification (SMOV) Update

Since the conclusion of Servicing Mission 4, engineers and scientists have been conducting the painstaking process of testing and reactivating Hubble components in order to bring the telescope back to full science operations.
Hubble Space Telescope Status Report

The HST team continues to investigate an anomaly with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph that caused it to suspend operations on July 6. An attempt to fully recover the instrument on July 10 was not successful.
Hubble Space Telescope Status Report

The HST team investigating the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) anomaly presented findings and recommendations to the HST project on June 30 that included a plan to bring the instrument out of suspend mode later this week.
Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 is Prepared for Shipping

Program technicians prepare the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC 2) for shipment back to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
Hubble Space Telescope Status Report

On June 22, at 12:21 PM EDT, the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) aboard Hubble temporarily suspended operations when an optical mechanism movement failed to reach its intended destination. The HST team quickly identified the root cause which required a minor update to the COS flight software.
Hubble Space Telescope Status Report

Following a meeting with the SI C&DH Anomaly Review Board at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center on June 19, the HST Program approved a plan to bring the science instruments out of safe hold.
Hubble Space Telescope Status Report

The newly installed Science Instrument Command and Data Handler (SI C&DH) experienced an anomaly on June 15. Engineers performed a successful power cycle succeeded on the SI C&DH and each science instrument was commanded into its safe mode by HST's flight controllers.
Hubble's New Covers Provide Blanket of Protection

Years of teamwork pay off for Goddard and Glenn engineers who studied Hubble's insulation.
Hubble Photographs Nebula to Honor Retiring of Camera

In tribute to Hubble's longest-running optical camera, a planetary nebula has been imaged as WFPC2's final "pretty picture."
Hubble to Receive James Webb Space Telescope Technology

New technologies for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope can be used to enhance the Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) in the upcoming servicing mission.
NASA Gives 'Go' for Space Shuttle Launch on May 11

Commander Scott Altman and his six crewmates are scheduled to lift off at 2:01 p.m. EDT, May 11, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Hubble Celebrates Its 19th Anniversary

To commemorate the Hubble Space Telescope's 19 years of historic, trailblazing science, the orbiting telescope has photographed a peculiar system of galaxies known as Arp 194.
SM4 - Next Stop - Atlantis!

Hubble's new batteries were integrated onto the Super Light-weight Interchangeable Carrier (SLIC) in the Payload Hazardous Systems Facility (PHSF) at the Kennedy Space Center, FL on Friday, April 10.
Preparations for HST SM4 Continue at the Kennedy Space Center

Hubble Space Telescope engineers from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center had a busy week at the Kennedy Space Center preparing SM4 hardware for its ride to orbit on board the Space Shuttle Atlantis.
Last Piece of Hubble Replacement Hardware Arrives at Kennedy Space Center

The spare Science Instrument /Command and Data Handling (SI/C&DH) module, slated for installation on the Hubble Space Telescope during Servicing Mission 4 in May, arrived safely at Kennedy Space Center on March 30 aboard a specially outfitted truck.
NASA's Space Shuttle Atlantis to Move to Launch Pad Tuesday

Space shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, March 31, as preparations for the STS-125 mission move forward.
Preparations Continue for the May Mission to Hubble

The first week of March was a busy and productive one for the Hubble Program. Testing and training continue for the Science Instrument Command & Data Handler (SIC&DH).
Astronauts Back at Goddard with Aim at Perfecting On-Orbit Repair Tasks

On Thursday, March 12, Hubble astronauts John Grunsfeld and Andrew Feustel arrived at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center for one last practice round inside the Center’s large cleanroom.
Testing and Training Continue for the Science Instrument Command & Data Handler (SIC&DH).

The first week of March was a busy and productive one for the Hubble Program. Testing and training continue for the Science Instrument Command & Data Handler (SIC&DH).
NASA Announces 2009 Astronomy and Astrophysics Fellows

NASA has selected fellows in three areas of astronomy and astrophysics for its Einstein, Hubble, and Sagan Fellowships. The recipients of this year's post-doctoral fellowships will conduct independent research at institutions around the country.
Hubble Status Report

The flight spare Science Instrument/Command & Data Handling (SI/C&DH) unit is currently completing ground tests at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
Hubble Status Report

On December 15, Hubble engineers restarted the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) Cooling System (NCS) aboard the Hubble Space Telescope.
Hubble Status Report

Servicing Mission 4 to the Hubble Space Telescope is currently on track for a mid-May 2009 launch based on a successful Pre-Environmental Readiness Review (PERR) held December 16 at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center for the flight spare Science Instrument Command and Data Handling (SI/C&DH).
NASA Sets Target Shuttle Launch Date for Hubble Servicing Mission

NASA announced Thursday that space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope now is targeted to launch May 12, 2009.
Hubble Status Report

Science observations using Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 2 and the Advanced Camera for Surveys’ Solar Blind Channel began last week, and a full schedule of observations are planned for this week.
Hubble Scores a Perfect Ten

Just a few days after the orbiting observatory was brought back online, Hubble aimed its sights on a pair of gravitationally interacting galaxies.
Hubble Status Report #7

The current primary camera on the Hubble Space Telescope is now back in active operation and will resume science observations shortly. Just before 9:30 a.m. EDT on October 25, 2008, on board Hubble, the telescope's science computer began to send commands to Wide Field Planetary Camera-2. These commands brought the computer out of the quiescent, safe state in which it has waited since the computer shut down on October 16.
Hubble Status Report #6

The Hubble Space Telescope Science Instrument Control and Data Handling system was reactivated on Thursday, October 23. This should enable Wide Field Planetary Camera-2 science observations to resume on Saturday, October 25. The Advanced Camera for Surveys Solar Blind Channel science observations should resume later next week.
Hubble Status Report #5

On Monday, October 20, engineers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center met to discuss their next steps toward resolving two anomalies which caused the B-side of the Science Instrument Control and Data Handling System (SI C&DH-B) and the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) Solar Blind Channel (SBC) to return to a ‘safe hold’ status on October 16.
Hubble Status Report #4

On Wednesday, October 14, engineers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center reconfigured six components of the Hubble Data Management System and five components in the Science Instrument Control and Data Handling (SIC &DH) system to use their redundant (or B) sides.
Hubble Status Report #3

Activation of the Hubble Space Telescope science instruments and resumption of science observations have been suspended following two anomalies seen in systems onboard the telescope on Thursday. All of the telescope's payloads are back in safe mode condition while engineers perform troubleshooting. An updated status report with more information will be issued shortly.
Hubble Status Report #2

During the night of Oct. 15, Space Telescope Operations Control Center engineers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center turned on and checked out Side ‘B’ of Hubble’s Science Instrument Control and Data Handling (SI C&DH) system.
Hubble Status Report #1

The Hubble Space Telescope team completed switching the required hardware modules to their B-sides about 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 15.
NASA Announces New Target Launch Date for Hubble Mission

The target launch date for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope has been reset to Oct. 14 at 10:19 p.m. EDT.
NASA Changes 2008 Shuttle Target Launch Dates, Schedules TCDT

NASA has adjusted the target launch date for the last mission to Hubble this fall.
Improving Hubble’s Space Armor

When astronauts return to Hubble for Servicing Mission 4 in 2009, they will be revamping and reenergizing the telescope for the final leg of its journey. One of the tasks they aim to complete is the installation of New Outer Blanket Layers, or NOBLs.
Hubble Equipment Being Readied for Flight at Kennedy Space Center

Flight hardware and science instruments are readied for the last mission to Hubble.
Hubble Unveils Colorful Star Nursery on 100,000th Orbit

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captured this image of a nebula near star cluster NGC 2074 on Aug. 10, 2008, the day before the observatory completed its 100,00th orbit of Earth.
Hubble Instruments Slated for On-Orbit 'Surgery'

When astronauts visit the Hubble Space Telescope in 2009 for its final servicing mission, they will be facing a task that has no precedence – performing on-orbit 'surgery' on two ailing science instruments that reside inside the telescope.
Engineers Design a New Composite Carrier for Hubble Servicing Mission

Hubble engineers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. are ushering in a new era in spaceflight with successful design of the first of its kind composite equipment carrier.
NASA Updates Space Shuttle Target Launch Dates

NASA Thursday adjusted the target launch dates for two space shuttle missions in 2008. Shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to the Hubble Space Telescope is now targeted for Oct. 8, and Endeavour's STS-126 supply mission to the station has moved from Oct. 16 to Nov. 10.
Extending Hubble's Mission Life with New Batteries

Astronauts will replace all six of Hubble's batteries during Servicing Mission 4.
Hubble Astronauts Take Part in Education Event

In addition to briefings and training at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, several crew members took part in a virtual education event.
STScI Founding Director to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award

Riccardo Giacconi, founding director of the Space Telescope Science Institute will receive the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
NASA's Clean Room: Last Stop for New Hubble Hardware

Before new Hubble components are ready for launch and installation, they must spend time in a clean room at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
New Hubble Parts Endure Environmental Tests

To prepare for Servicing Mission 4, new Hubble components must endure harsh tests at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
Hubble's Ground-Based Guidance

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.
Out-of-This-World Tools for Hubble Tasks

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.
Hubble -- A Year in Review

Read about important Hubble milestones in 2007 and what's in store for the telescope in 2008.
NASA Announces Details of Hubble Servicing Mission

NASA scientists and a space shuttle astronaut outlined details of a mission that will repair and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.
Custom Blankets for the Hubble Space Telescope

One of Servicing Mission 4's many objectives is the refurbishment of Hubble's outer thermal blankets.
Goddard Engineers and Divers Multi-Task for Hubble

Ever wonder how NASA astronauts prepare for Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions?
New Science Instruments for Hubble

Astronauts will install two new Hubble instruments during the final shuttle servicing mission targeted for 2009.
Our Journey Back to Hubble

Since its launch in April 1990, the Hubble continues to excite astronomers around the world with its discoveries.
NASA, IMAX Team up on Hubble Mission

Thanks to cooperation between NASA, IMAX Corporation, and Warner Bros. Pictures, the IMAX 3D camera is scheduled for a journey to Hubble in 2008.
Astronauts Visit Goddard for Hubble Training

Astronauts were at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center this past week for hands on training and daily briefings in preparation for next year's Shuttle mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope.
NASA Updates Shuttle Target Launch Date for Hubble Mission

NASA managers officially are targeting Sept. 10, 2008, for the launch of the fifth and final space shuttle servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope.
NASA Completes Two Important Reviews for Upcoming Hubble Mission

On April 18 and 19, the Servicing Mission Four Review Board met to conduct a Critical Design Review and a Test Readiness Review.
The Colorful Demise of a Sun-Like Star

A new image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope shows the colorful "last hurrah" of a star like our sun.
Engineers Investigate Issue on One of Hubble's Science Instruments

NASA engineers are examining a problem related to the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) aboard the agency's Hubble Space Telescope.
Hubble Maps Cosmic Web of "Clumpy" Dark Matter

An international team of astronomers has created the first three-dimensional map of dark matter in the universe.
Hubble Finds Evidence for Dark Energy in the Young Universe

Scientists using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have discovered that dark energy is not a new constituent of space, but rather has been present for most of the universe's history.
NASA Schedules Dark Energy Discovery Media Teleconference

NASA will host a media teleconference with Hubble astronomers at 1 p.m. EST Thursday, Nov. 16, to announce the discovery that dark energy has been an ever-present constituent of space for most of the universe's history.
Spitzer and Hubble Create Colorful Masterpiece

A new image from NASA's Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes looks more like an abstract painting than a cosmic snapshot.
Hubble Discovers Extrasolar Planets Across Our Galaxy

NASA will host a science update on October 4 to discuss a Hubble Space Telescope discovery of extrasolar planet candidates orbiting a variety of distant stars.
Engineers Restart Hubble Camera

NASA engineers successfully activated the Advanced Camera for Surveys at 9:12 a.m. EDT Friday aboard the agency's Hubble Space Telescope.
NASA Issues Hubble Space Telescope Status Report

NASA engineers continue to examine the issues surrounding a problem related to the Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard the Hubble Space Telescope.
NASA's Hubble Reveals Two Dust Disks Around Nearby Star

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has revealed two dust disks circling the nearby star Beta Pictoris.
Hubble "Tenth Planet" Slightly Larger Than Pluto

For the first time, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has seen distinctly the "tenth planet," currently nicknamed "Xena," and has found that it is only slightly larger than Pluto.
Hubble Reveals Thousands of Orion Nebula Stars

In one of the most detailed astronomical images ever produced, the Hubble Space Telescope captured an unprecedented look at the Orion Nebula.
More to the North Star Than Meets the Eye

By stretching the capabilities of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to the limit, astronomers photographed the close companion to Polaris, known also as the North Star, for the first time.
Hubble Discovers New Rings and Moons Around Uranus

The largest ring is twice the diameter of the planet's previously known rings. The rings are so far from the planet, they are being called Uranus' "second ring system."
Hubble Reveals Possible New Pluto Moons

Astronomers have found Pluto may have not one, but three moons.
Hubble Looks for Moon Resources

NASA is using the unique capabilities of the Hubble Space Telescope for a new class of scientific observations of the Earth's moon.
Hubble Reveals Moon's Prospects on Oct. 19

NASA hosts a news conference at 1 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, Oct. 19, to discuss new Hubble Space Telescope images of the moon’s surface in ultraviolet light.
NASA Finds "Big Baby" Galaxies in Newborn Universe

Two of NASA's great observatories, the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes, have teamed up to "weigh" the stars in several distant galaxies.
Hubble Finds Mysterious Disk of Blue Stars Around Black Hole

Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have identified the source of a mysterious blue light surrounding a super-massive black hole in our neighboring Andromeda Galaxy (M31).
Hubble Begins "Two-Gyro" Science Operations

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope entered a new era of science operations this week, when engineers shut down one of the three operational gyroscopes aboard the observatory.
NASA's Hubble Chases Unruly Planet

An image from the Hubble Telescope offers evidence that an unseen planet is gravitationally tugging on a dusty ring around the star Fomalhaut.
New Hubble Observations

New observations from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope (HST) will be presented by astronomers during a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, June 22.
Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary

During the 15 years NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has orbited the Earth, it has taken more than 750,000 photos of the cosmos; images that have awed, astounded and even confounded astronomers and the public.
New Hubble Findings Teleconference

Astronomers will present new findings from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope (HST) at a media teleconference on Wednesday, March 9 from 2 to 3 p.m. EST.
Hubble Homes in on Suspected Extrasolar Planet

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is providing important supporting evidence about a possible planet 225 light-years away.
Spitzer And Hubble Capture Planetary Systems

Two observatories have provided astronomers an unprecedented look at dusty planetary debris around stars the size of our sun.
Briefing About New Look at Planet

Astronomers will present findings from Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Space Telescope at a briefing, Thursday at 1 p.m. EST.
Hubble Instrument Stops Working

Engineers have been unable to revive one of four science instruments aboard NASA's Hubble's Space Telescope.
NASA Considering Robotic Servicing Mission To Hubble

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe today announced the agency's decision to pursue the feasibility of a robotic servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST).
Hubble Sees Earliest Galaxies

The telescope may be seeing the first galaxies to emerge after the big bang.
New Clues About The Nature Of Dark Energy

The good news from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is Einstein was right -- maybe.