operational Optical/UV/Infrared · International
Hubble Space Telescope
NASA, ESA · operator profile
One of the most productive scientific instruments ever built, and the observatory that first showed the public what deep space actually looks like — the Hubble Deep Field, pillar-of-creation nebula images, and precision measurements that helped establish the universe's expansion rate.
Facts
Launch date
24 April 1990
Primary mirror
2.4 m single mirror
Location
Low Earth orbit, ~535 km altitude
Timeline
Launched 24 April 1990 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery; serviced by five Space Shuttle crewed missions between 1993 and 2009; still operating in 2026, now in its fourth decade.
Frequently asked about Hubble Space Telescope
- Who operates Hubble Space Telescope?
- Hubble Space Telescope is operated by NASA, ESA.
- Is Hubble Space Telescope operational?
- Yes, Hubble Space Telescope is currently operational.
- Where does Hubble Space Telescope operate from?
- Hubble Space Telescope operates from Low Earth orbit, ~535 km altitude, observing primarily in the optical/uv/infrared range.