Crews on the space shuttle orbiter Discovery knew the Hubble Space Telescope well. They deployed the great observatory in 1990 and then serviced it twice, in 1997 and 2003. Join curator Valerie Neal as she discusses Discovery and its relationship with Hubble. After all, the 25th anniversary of its April 24 launch is a perfect occasion to reflect on the important roles of Discovery, the astronauts, and the Hubble Space Telescope in the history of space exploration.
Meet at the nose of the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird in the Boeing Aviation Hangar.
About the Ask an Expert Series: On the second and fourth Thursdays of the month at 12:30 pm at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, a Museum staff member talks to the public about the history, collection, or personalities related to a specific artifact or exhibition in the Museum. For topics of upcoming Ask and Expert talks at the Udvar-Hazy Center, click here.
JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON, TEXAS -- STS-31 ONBOARD SCENE -- This photograph was taken by the STS-31 crew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery and shows the Hubble Space Telescope being deployed on April 25, 1990, from the payload bay. The giant spacecraft is being put in orbit to gather information about a large variety of astronomical objects, from neighboring planets and stars to the most distant galaxies and quasars. The photo was taken by the IMAX Cargo Bay Camera (ICBC), mounted in a container on the port side of Discovery in Bay 12. The camera was remotely controlled by the crew members in the cabin, using a Gas Autonomous Payload Controller (GAPC). The 70mm motion picture coverage of the telescope and its deployment exercises will be featured in an IMAX/Omnimax film for the International Space Year 1992.
NASA Source: KSC-90PC-1027