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Hubble Space Telescope Marks 36 Years of Cosmic Discovery

3/23/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Hubble Space Telescope, NASA's orbital observatory, launched in 1990, celebrates its 36th anniversary next month.
A 1993 servicing mission corrected a mirror flaw, enabling nearly 1.7 million observations and over 22,000 peer-reviewed papers.
It revealed ancient galaxies, measured cosmic expansion, and confirmed exoplanet atmospheres.
Its legacy will transition to the Habitable Worlds Observatory to search for Earth-like planets.
Hubble remains a cultural icon, inspiring public interest in space exploration.

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Story summary

The Hubble Space Telescope, NASA's orbital observatory, launched in 1990, celebrates its 36th anniversary next month.
A 1993 servicing mission corrected a mirror flaw, enabling nearly 1.7 million observations and over 22,000 peer-reviewed papers.
It revealed ancient galaxies, measured cosmic expansion, and confirmed exoplanet atmospheres.
Its legacy will transition to the Habitable Worlds Observatory to search for Earth-like planets.
Hubble remains a cultural icon, inspiring public interest in space exploration.