Is Hubble Still In Space? Here's How Long The Telescope Has Lasted
NASA's Hubble telescope has been one of the best tools for exploring the universe — but is it still in space and working? Exploring outer space is about as difficult as you'd expect. Whether astronomers want to learn more about planets in our Solar System, other planets in the Milky Way, or galaxies millions of light-years away, doing so requires a tremendous amount of work.
Over the last few years, however, the Hubble telescope has made these things considerably easier. Initially launched in April 1990, Hubble is responsible for some of the biggest space discoveries in recent memory. It's helped calculate the universe's age, provided incredible information about dark matter, and discovered two of Pluto's moons. Hubble's also well-known for capturing jaw-dropping photos of outer space. From beautiful nebulae to faraway galaxies, Hubble's provided a first-row seat to the universe unlike anything else.
Related: How Long Will The James Webb Space Telescope Last? Here's What We Know
What makes all of this even more impressive is that Hubble is still in space and actively working. Despite being over 30 years old at the time of publication, Hubble continues making critical observations as astronomers keep studying everything that lies beyond Earth. NASA has had to launch five Servicing Missions over the years to perform critical repairs on the telescope. These missions saw astronauts correct flaws with Hubble's primary mirror, replace solar panels, and install new instruments. Thanks to NASA's continued work on Hubble, it's still fully operational today — and should remain that way for a while to come.
Not only is Hubble still in space and working right now, but NASA anticipates it'll continue to do so for a few more years.
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