NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope was launched on April 24, 1990. “A quarter century later, Hubble has fundamentally changed human understanding of the universe and our place in it” said Charlie Bolden, NASA administrator and pilot of the mission that brought Hubble into orbit.
Thanks to five space shuttle servicing missions, totaling 32 astronaut space walks, and the multitude of scientists, engineers, and staff that worked on Hubble, the observatory has long out-lasted its planned end-of-mission in 2005.