The Hubble Space Telescope was launched into orbit in 1990, by the Space Shuttle Discovery. It was named after the famous American astronomer Edwin Hubble. Hubble is currently one of the largest space telescopes in orbit, and it has been “employed” for almost 20 years by NASA.

Because it has been in use for so long, it was inevitable the Hubble was to experience problems and malfunctions, some of its issues being caused by the occasional human errors. For instance, after its launch it was discovered that the telescope’s main mirror was incorrectly set in place, which was of course a hindrance for its capacity and functionality. In 1993, the problem was fixed after a repair mission was sent into orbit.

In 1997, a second service mission was launched, this time to replace the GHRS and the FOS with a Space Telescoping Imaging Spectrograph and a Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer. Also, a Solid State Recorder was installed and the thermal insulation was fixed. In 1999, Hubble’s six gyroscopes were replaced, among other things such as replacing the Fine Guidance Sensor. A new computer was also installed on Hubble. In 2002, an Advanced Camera for Surveys was set in place to replace an older instrument.

The last mission was scheduled for October 2008, but it was delayed because Hubble experienced more trouble and required even more touch-ups.

Despite these problems, Hubble is still servicing mankind. Recently, the aging space telescope managed to take photo of an exoplanet orbiting a star. Soon, NASA will attempt to capture images of the exoplanet in infrared light. Also, they will be searching for traces of water in the atmosphere.