NASA 2004
Source
Hubble has broadened our understanding of space for nineteen years. After four repairs missions, Hubble presently lacks half of its working gyroscopes which keep it in proper orbit (three out of six work), lacks in battery life and lacks in fully functioning instruments (three presently work). This upcoming Monday, seven astronauts in the Atlantis shuttle will attempt to repair Hubble for the fifth and final mission. Either the repairs on Hubble will successfully increase its power by an estimated ninety times since its launch date in 1990 or the repairs will fail to save Hubble and render it as a six-point-nine billion dollar “piece of space junk”. Unfortunately, these seven astronauts face immense pressure since the shuttle Atlantis will retire within seventeen months thus making this repair mission absolutely critical – there is either success or failure.
Let us reflect upon some of Hubble’s achievements:
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• Helped narrow the age of the universe to 12 billion to 14 billion years, rather than the 10 billion to 20 billion years known previously.
• Captured the farthest pictures of deep space ever taken, showing early galaxies born in the era when the first stars were forming.
• Detected exploding stars in a pattern that suggested a mysterious “dark energy” is propelling galaxies apart.
• Provided the first analysis of the atmosphere of planets in other solar systems and taken the first picture of such a planet. “
Named after the U.S. astronomer Edwin Hubble, Hubble will and always remain one of the greatest achievements in understanding the foundations of the universe. If the repairs prove successful, they will increase Hubble’s longevity by an estimated five to seven years. In preparation of Hubble’s ultimate demise, NASA plans on launching a new telescope James Webb after a former NASA chief in the upcoming years. Whilst the James Webb Space Telescope will not have the capability to sense emitting ultraviolet light nor capture extraordinary light photographs like its predecessor, James Webb specializes in sensing light emitted from the earliest stars in the universe to capture some semblance of the universe’s origin. Much of Hubble’s photographic prowess and clarity come from its high orbit in the sky, far above light pollution on Earth. From Starry Night Lights to the Seven Astronauts: Best of luck and God Speed.
