Hubble Space Telescope

When in space and looking out, the observer will see a lot of black. Light will come from stars and galaxies, and will be reflected from planets or other bodies around, but the rest of the "sky" will be black. Light will arrive at the observers position without being scattered by atmosphere. Dust and some gas can appear to glow when looked at through a telescope, but to the naked eye, it's really black out there.

Launched on April 24th 1990 the purpose of the Hubble space telescope is so astronauts and astronomers and even the public can discover new images of our Galaxy and other Galaxy's and other planets

The Hubble Space Telescope was invented to provide high-quality images of celestial objects free from the distortion of Earth's atmosphere. It allows astronomers to study the universe in more detail and helps in advancing our understanding of cosmology, exoplanets, and many other aspects of astronomy.

I don't believe so, considering it would be awfully difficult to reverse a huge hung of metal traveling at insane speeds, and we haven't been to mars or Venus, so that sort of mission would be a suicide.

Mountaintops are ideal for near-infrared telescopes because the high altitude reduces atmospheric interference and light pollution. Ultraviolet telescopes are placed in Earth orbit to avoid absorption of ultraviolet light by Earth's atmosphere, which allows for clearer observations of objects emitting in the ultraviolet spectrum.

The Hubble Space Telescope was not invented by a single person. It was a collaborative effort involving NASA, the European Space Agency, astronomers, engineers, and many other scientists. The telescope was named after American astronomer Edwin Hubble, known for his work on the expansion of the universe.

ORIGINS

No one person ever "invents" or builds a spacecraft; it is a collaboration of individuals, companies, governments, etc., over a period of many years.

Like all NASA projects, HST began many years ago as a scientific proposal that eventually found its way into creation as a scientific instrument, spacecraft, probe, satellite, etc. Though it typically takes 3-5 years for a project to be completed once the Design Reviews are performed, the engineering designs and other key elements that bring a project to life begins years before actual manufacturing work is begun.

The Hubble Telescope can trace its origins to 1946, when noted astronomer Lyman Spitzer ("Father of the Space Telescope") wrote his paper entitled "Astronomical Advantages of an Extraterrestrial Observatory". Spitzer (NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope is named for him) pushed many years of his career for the development of a space based observatory, and in 1965 he was appointed head of a committee with the task of defining the parameters and objectives for an orbiting observatory.

FIRST SPACE OBSERVATORIES

Space-based observatories are hardly novel - the first observatory was launched in 1962 by NASA was the Orbiting Solar Observatory, which gathered X-ray, UV, and Gamma Ray data), and the British launched their own orbiting solar observatory around the same time. In 1966, NASA launched the first Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (OAO), whose battery failed after only 3 days. Its successor, OAO-2, launched in 1968, was much different however; it continued to operate and send UV data on stars and galaxies until 1972, well past its project life of 1 year.

ADVANTAGES OF SPACE-BASED OBSERVATORIES

Aside from the obvious advantage of not being hindered by filtering problems due to Earth's atmosphere, space observatories can view any part of the universe it's pointed at; ground based observatories are limited to the area of sky they can view because they're on a fixed point on the Earth's surface, and can only view a limited amount of the sky in its area of vision as it rotates. While modern ground telescopes have claimed to now have better resolution capability than Hubble, what they fail to mention is that the algorithms and technology used to gain those advances were largely due to technology developed for Hubble and other space observatories.

HUBBLE BIRTH

The ultimate success of the OSO/OAO programs and the data they produced convinced many in the scientific community that there were huge benefits to be gained from a space-based observatory, and in 1968 NASA began firm plans to design and build an observatory provisionally known as either the Large Orbiting Telescope (LOS) or Large Space Telescope (LST), with a provisional launch date in 1979. NASA always gives a project an initial name; as the project comes to life, it will often rename it for a specific person who made key contributions to the area of study the instrument or satellite is focusing on.

For the next 10 years the project languished in the government funding quagmire; though there were major lobbying efforts and strong support for LST by the scientific community, Congress wasn't as eager to give up the money required for such a bold venture, and budget cuts and changes eventually led to NASA collaborating with the European Space Agency (ESA) on the project. The ESA agreed to help fund the project, provide solar arrays and one of the first instruments, in exchange for a guarantee of at least 15% observation time for its scientists. The ESA also provided personnel to assist in the construction of the LST.

Construction finally began in the late '70's, with 2 key NASA Centers having overall responsibility; Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland (ground and scientific instrument control), and Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama (design, development & construction). Perkin-Elmer was given the contract by MSFC to build the large mirror (Optical Telescope Array) and the LST's Fine Guidance Sensors (responsible for precise positioning of the telescope during observations), and aerospace giant Lockheed was given the task of building the spacecraft required to house all of the instruments and support systems. I still remember seeing it being constructed in 1984 at MSFC - little did I know then that in 7 years I'd be working on it for GSFC.

LARGE SPACE TELESCOPE RENAMED

In 1983, NASA formally renamed the Large Space Telescope the Hubble Space Telescope, in honor of American Astronomer Edwin P. Hubble (November 20, 1889 - September 28, 1953), who made the key discovery that the universe is in fact expanding, and demonstrated that other galaxies exist besides the Milky Way. It is a long-standing NASA tradition to name spacecraft for those who have made key contributions in the field a particular experiment or observatory is going to be used for.

SERVICING MISSIONS

Early on, it was determined that HST should be designed to be maintained in orbit, and the plans for the Shuttle program fell into those plans. This single key design factor has kept the project alive for nearly 20 years. To date, there have been 5 servicing missions to maintain HST; SM1, SM2, SM3A, SM3B, and SM4. SM3 was split into 2 separate missions after the NICMOS experiment, installed on the 1997 SM2 mission, began to lose its solid nitrogen cooling source much faster than was designed due to an undetected thermal short. A fix was quickly devised, the NICMOS Cryocooler System, a hi-speed cryogenic turbine (the blades are the diameter of a dime) that pumps liquid helium through the original pipes used to originally freeze the nitrogen. The installation of the NCS system and additional cooling systems to compensate for the added heat generated from its electronics, and the failure of 4 of HST's 6 onboard gyros (prompting replacement to be scheduled for SM3A) is why the mission was split into 2 parts.

LEGACY / BENEFITS

HST, though delayed by the shutdown of the Space Program after the Challenger accident, and the initial problem with its primary mirror, has ultimately proven to be the premier observatory the world recognizes. Some of the most stunning pictures and discoveries in the universe have come as a direct result of HST's observations.

In addition to solving some of Astronomy's long-standing problems and fueling the imagination of millions, everyday people have benefited from HST technology as well. Digital cameras and imaging technology, SSD/Flash Drives, Lithium Ion batteries, etc., all owe their origins to technology directly or indirectly used for HST, among many other devices used by ordinary people. As one of 4 observatories in NASA's "Great Observatories" program (the other 3 are the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO), the Chandra X-Ray Telescope, and the Spitzer Space Telescope), it has proven that its benefits have been worth the cost.

Other space telescopes are planned - the James Webb Space Telescope (many former HST personnel are now working on it), an Infrared telescope, will be much different, in that it won't view the optical spectrum and will orbit at Lagrangian Point 2 (L2), past the orbit of the Moon. Several other space observatories are already in orbit at the L2 point.

The Advanced Technology Large-Aperture Space Telescope (ATLAST) will be the true successor to HST, if the proposed project ever comes to fruition. Also planned to be orbited at the Sun-Earth L2 point, its proposed mirror will be several times larger than HST's, and will be able to view in several wavelengths, including the optical, which JWST isn't designed to do.

The Hubble Space Telescope works by capturing light from celestial objects using a large primary mirror and then focusing that light onto various instruments for analysis. It orbits Earth to avoid atmospheric distortion, allowing for high-resolution images across different wavelengths of light. The data collected is transmitted back to Earth for scientists to study and better understand the universe.

Radio telescopes can detect and study radio waves emitted by astronomical objects in space, such as stars, galaxies, black holes, and cosmic microwave background radiation. They provide valuable insights into the composition, structure, and behavior of celestial objects that may not be observable through other wavelengths of light.

The shuttle that would put the Hubble into orbit finally launched on April 24, 1990.

The Hubble Space Telescope was carried as cargo

aboard a Space Shuttle mission in April of 1990.

1). The man-made object on the moon doesn't make any light of its own, and may

be in shadow during a large part of the month, whereas the objects far out in the

universe that the HST is used to study make their own light, like the sun, or like

several thousand suns.

2). Observing time on the HST is a very precious resource in the communities of

Astronomy, Physics, and Cosmology. Very little of its time is wasted looking at

the moon, when there are plenty of earth-bound telescopes that are well suited

for that.

The primary task of the Spitzer Space Telescope was to observe the universe in infrared light. It was designed to study objects that are too cold or faint to emit visible light, such as dusty regions of space, exoplanets, and distant galaxies.

Contrary to the namesake, nobody really "invented" the James Webb Space Telescope. It began as a NASA project for simply, a successor to the aging Hubble Space Telescope and the Spitzer Space Telescope (Which is an infrared telescope). It is now a collaborative project between 17 different countries, including the Canadian Space Agency and the European Space Agency. Originally, it was named the Next Generation Telescope, however later on, in 2002, it was renamed the James Webb Space Telescope in remembrance of the NASA administrator, James Webb, who played a crucial role in the Apollo missions.

The closest person to an inventor of the JWST would be the current lead project scientist, John Mather and the staff at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. However, technically everyone who contributed to the JWST since 1996 could be considered co-inventors as the JWST is equipped with many different instruments purpose-built for the project.

It says 1.2 billion in this website but i'm not so sure........

Space exploration paved the way for the development of the James Webb Space Telescope by providing valuable experience in building and operating space-based observatories. Technologies and techniques developed for previous missions, such as the Hubble Space Telescope, have been applied to the design and construction of the James Webb Space Telescope. Additionally, insights gained from exploring our solar system and beyond have informed the science goals and objectives of the James Webb Space Telescope.

Scientists have used a variety of instruments and tools to study Mars, including orbiters, landers, rovers, and telescopes. These instruments help researchers study the planet's atmosphere, surface features, composition, and more in order to understand its geology, climate, and potential for past or present life.

The Hubble Space Telescope primarily uses ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared light to capture images of celestial objects. These wavelengths are ideal for observing astronomical phenomena such as stars, planets, and galaxies.

A system of pulleys along a long carbon nanotube structure that reachs into space. There is a common misconception that there is not gravity in space, however this is not the case. Classified as microgravity it is still possible for basically anything that functions normally on earth to function normally in the microgravity of space.

The famous telescope that orbits the Earth is the Hubble Space Telescope, which is a space-based observatory launched by NASA in 1990. It observes in visible, ultraviolet, and near-infrared wavelengths and has provided significant contributions to our understanding of the universe.

The decisions regarding the use of the Hubble Space Telescope were influenced by economic factors such as funding availability, social factors like public interest and support for space exploration, and cultural factors related to scientific advancement and international collaboration. Ultimately, a balance between these considerations helped shape the decisions on how the telescope would be used.

The main advantage of the Hubble Space Telescope is its ability to capture high-resolution images of celestial objects in visible, ultraviolet, and near-infrared light. This has led to numerous scientific discoveries and advancements in our understanding of the universe.

The advancement in space technology has economic implications such as potential job creation and economic growth through the development of new industries. It has moral implications related to ethical considerations around space exploration, such as issues of environmental impact and equity in access to space. Culturally, it can inspire people, foster international collaboration, and contribute to a sense of interconnectedness and wonder about the universe.

The reflecting metal foil on the Hubble space telescope helps regulate its temperature by deflecting sunlight and reducing heat absorption. This insulation is crucial for maintaining the telescope's delicate instruments within a suitable temperature range to ensure optimal performance.

The Hubble Space Telescope is placed in orbit around Earth at an altitude of about 547 kilometers (340 miles) to ensure that it can observe distant celestial objects with minimal interference from Earth's atmosphere. Being above the atmosphere also provides a clearer view of the universe and reduces distortion and light pollution that could affect its observations.