Robotic Observatories & Rovers
Hubble Space Telescope
Vehicle: Space Shuttle Discovery | Launch Site: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Key Mission Milestones & Event Timeline
April 24, 1990
Deployment
Launched aboard Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-31) and deployed into low Earth orbit.
June 1990
Spherical Aberration Discovered
Astronomers discovered Hubble's primary mirror was ground incorrectly, resulting in blurred images.
December 1993
Servicing Mission 1 (STS-61)
Astronauts installed COSTAR corrective optics and the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2, restoring Hubble's sight.
May 2009
Servicing Mission 4 (STS-125)
The final shuttle servicing flight, upgrading batteries, gyroscopes, and installing WFC3 and COS.