What is the Hubble Space Telescope?

Hubble Space Telescope (English: Hubble Space Telescope, abbreviation: HST) is a well-known astronomer, University of Chicago astronomer Edwin Hubble, in space orbit around the earth and space telescope, it was in 1990 The successful launch by the space shuttle "Discoverer" at the Kennedy Space Center in the United States on April 24,

In May 2019, Hubble Space Telescope scientists released the latest cosmic photo-"Hubble Field" (HLF), which is the most complete and comprehensive cosmic map to date. The photos are stitched together and contain about 265,000 galaxies, some of which are at least 13.3 billion years old, and studying them will help scientists gain insight into earlier universe history. ^[1]

Chinese name: Hubble Space Telescope
Foreign name: Hubble Space Telescope
Abbreviation: HST
Name: Edward Hubble
Launch time: April 24, 1990

Launch location: Kennedy Space Launch Center
Weight: 11,000 kg (24,250 lbs)
Device manager: NASA and ESA
Running height: About 575 kilometers above the ground
Successor Explorer: James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)

Hubble Space Telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ) is a telescope in Earth orbit under the name of astronomer Edwin Hubble. The Hubble Telescope receives instructions from the Ground Control Center (inside Hopkins University, Maryland, USA) and transmits various observations back to Earth by radio. Because it is located above the Earth's atmosphere, it gains benefits not found in ground-based telescopes: the image is not disturbed by atmospheric turbulence, has excellent apparentness, and has no background light caused by atmospheric scattering. . After its launch in 1990, it has become the most important instrument in the history of astronomy. It successfully made up for the lack of ground observations, helped astronomers solve many basic astronomical problems, and made humans have a better understanding of astrophysics. In addition, Hubble's ultra-deep field of view is the deepest and most sensitive optical image of space available to astronomers.

The Hubble Space Telescope, Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, Chandra X-ray Observatory, and Spitzer Space Telescope are all part of NASA's Large Orbital Observatory program. The Hubble Space Telescope is jointly managed by NASA and ESA.

Hubble Space Telescope Concept Design and Target

Hubble Space Telescope Planning, Design and Preparation

The history of the Hubble Space Telescope can be traced back to the 1946 paper by Astronomer Lyman Spitzer (Jr.): "The Advantages of Astronomical Observations Outside the Earth". In the article, he pointed out that two observatories in space outperformed terrestrial observatories. First, the limit of angular resolution (the minimum separation angle at which an object can be clearly distinguished) will be limited only by diffraction, not by the visual acuity caused by the flickering, turbulent atmosphere of stars. At that time, the resolution of ground-based telescopes was only 0.5-1.0 arc-seconds. By comparison, a telescope with a diameter of 2.5 meters can reach the theoretical diffraction limit of 0.1 arc-seconds. Second, telescopes in space can observe infrared and ultraviolet rays that have been absorbed by the atmosphere. ^[2]

Spitzer is dedicated to the development of space telescopes with a career in space telescopes. In 1962, the National Academy of Sciences recommended a space telescope as part of the development of a space program. In 1965, Spitzer was appointed as the chairman of a scientific committee whose purpose was to build a space telescope. .

During the Second World War, scientists used rocket technology to develop small-scale astronomy based on space. In 1946, the ultraviolet spectrum of the sun was first observed. Britain launched the solar telescope in orbit in 1962 as part of the Aryan space program. NASA carried out the first orbiting observatory (OAO) mission in 1966, but the first OAO battery failed after three days, and the mission was suspended. The second OAO performed ultraviolet observations of stars and galaxies from 1968 to 1972, working a year longer than originally planned.

The orbiting observatory mission demonstrated the important role of space-based observatories in astronomy, so in 1968 NASA decided a plan to build a 3-meter-diameter reflecting telescope in space. (LST), expected to launch in 1979. This plan emphasizes the need for someone to enter space for maintenance to ensure that this costly plan can continue to work long enough; and the synchronous development of reusable space shuttle technology can make the previous plan feasible.

Hubble Space Telescope Funding Needs

The success of the orbiting observatory program has encouraged growing public opinion that large space telescopes should be important targets in the field of astronomy. In 1970, NASA established two committees, one to plan the space telescope project and the other to study the scientific objectives of the space telescope mission. After that, the next obstacle that NASA needs to remove is the issue of funding, because it is many times more expensive than any ground-based observatory. The US Congress raised many questions about the budget requirements for space telescopes. In order to counter the budget required for disarmament, the telescope hardware requirements and the instruments needed for subsequent development were listed in detail. In 1974, inspired by cuts in government spending, Gerald Ford eliminated all budgets for space telescopes.

In response, astronomers coordinated national lobbying efforts. Many astronomers personally visited congressmen and senators and carried out large-scale letters and texts. A report published by the National Academy of Sciences also emphasized the importance of space telescopes, and finally the Senate resolved to restore half of the budget originally deleted by Congress.

The reduction in funding has led to a reduction in target projects, and the diameter of the lens has also been reduced from 3 meters to 2.4 meters to reduce costs and configure the telescope hardware more efficiently and closely. Originally planned as a preliminary test, the 1.5-meter space telescope placed on the satellite was also cancelled, and the European Space Agency, which expressed concerns about the budget, became a partner of joint cooperation. The European Space Agency agreed to provide funding and some of the instruments needed on the telescopes, such as solar cells as a source of power, in return for European astronomers to use no less than 15% of the telescope observation time. In 1978, the U.S. Congress allocated $ 36,000,000 to start the design of a large space telescope, and plans to launch in 1983. In early 1980, the telescope was named Hubble in memory of Edwin Hubble, an astronomer who discovered the expansion of the universe in the early 20th century.

Hubble Space Telescope Design and Manufacturing

In May 1979, the Hubble mirror was polished at PerkinElmer, Danbury, Connecticut. Appearing in the picture is Dr. Martin Colin, an engineer who serves the company.

Once the space telescope plan was approved, the plan was divided into a number of sub-plans and distributed to various agencies for implementation. The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is responsible for the design, development, and construction of the telescope, and the Golden Stone Space Flight Center (GSFC) is responsible for the overall control of scientific instruments and the ground mission control center. The Marshall Space Flight Center commissioned Perkin-Elmer to design and manufacture the optical components of the space telescope, as well as the precision positioning sensor (FGS). Lockheed was commissioned to build a telescope-mounted spacecraft.

OTA Hubble Space Telescope Combined Installation (OTA)

The telescope's mirror and optical system are the most critical parts, so there are strict specifications in the design. In general telescopes, the accuracy of mirrors after polishing is about one-tenth of the wavelength of visible light, but because the observation range of space telescopes is from ultraviolet to near infrared, it requires ten times higher resolution than previous telescopes. After polishing, the accuracy of the mirror reached one-half of the wavelength of visible light, which is about 30 nanometers.

PerkinElmer deliberately uses an extremely complex computer-controlled polishing machine to grind the mirror, but it has problems with the most advanced technology; Kodak was commissioned to use a traditional polishing technique to make a spare mirror (Kodak's mirror is now Permanently stored at the Smithsonian Institution). In 1979, PerkinElmer began to grind lenses using ultra-low-expansion glass. In order to minimize the weight of the mirror, a honeycomb lattice was used. Only one inch on the surface and one bottom was thick glass.

The polishing of the mirror continued from 1979 to May 1981, and the progress of polishing has fallen behind and exceeded the budget. At this time, NASA's report began to question PerkinElmer's management structure. To save money, NASA stopped supporting lens production and postponed the launch date to October 1984. The lenses were all completed at the end of 1981 and were plated with 75 nm thick aluminum-enhanced reflection and 25 nm thick magnesium fluoride protective layer.

As the budget for the optical telescope portfolio continues to swell and progress is lagging, doubts about PerkinElmer's ability to follow up continue to exist. In response to what has been described as "an undecided and fickle daily report," NASA extended the launch date to April 1985. However, PerkinElmer's progress continued to increase by one month each quarter, and the rate of deterioration deteriorated, and the time delay also reached the lagging behind every working day. NASA was forced to postpone the launch date, first to March 1986 and then to September 1986. At this time, the total cost of the entire plan has reached 1.175 billion US dollars.

Hubble Space Telescope Space Platform System

Spacecraft housing telescopes and instruments is another major engineering challenge. It must be able to withstand and resist temperature changes caused by frequent ingress and egress between sunlight and the shadows of the earth. It must also be extremely stable and able to accurately target the telescope for a long time. A shield made of multiple layers of insulating material can keep the temperature inside the telescope stable, and a lightweight aluminum shell surrounds the telescope and instrument holder. Inside the housing, a graphite epoxy frame holds the calibrated work instrument firmly.

For some time, the spacecraft used to house instruments and telescopes was smoother in construction than the combination of optical telescopes, but Lockheed still experienced a lack of budget and progress. By the summer of 1985, the spacecraft was behind schedule Months, and the budget exceeded 30%. The Marshall Space Flight Center report states that Lockheed did not take the initiative in the construction of the spacecraft and relied too much on NASA guidance.

Hubble Space Telescope Ground Support

In 1983, the Space Telescope Science Association (STScI) was formed after a power struggle between NASA and the scientific community. The Space Telescope Science Association is affiliated with the American University Astronomical Research Alliance (AURA), a unit of 32 American universities and 7 international members, headquartered on the Johns Hopkins University campus in Baltimore, Maryland.

The Space Telescope Science Association is responsible for the operation of the space telescope and the delivery of data to astronomers. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) wants to use it as an internal organization, but scientists plan to create a research unit based on the scientific community's practice. NASA is located on the green dyke in Maryland. Goddard Space Flight Center and contractor provide engineering support. The Hubble Telescope operates 24 hours a day, and is operated by four working teams in turn.

The Space Telescope European Coordination Agency was established in 1984 in Garching bei München, near Munich, Germany, to provide similar support to European astronomers.

Hubble Space Telescope Challenger Explosion

As early as 1986, the Hubble Space Telescope was planned to be launched in October of that year. But the Challenger's accident stalled U.S. space programs and the space shuttle's suspension took off, forcing the Hubble Space Telescope's launch to be delayed for several years. The telescope and all accessories must be stored separately in a clean room until the date of emission can be discharged, which also makes the total cost of overspending even higher.

Finally, as the space shuttle began to take off again in 1988, the telescope was also scheduled to launch in 1990. As a final preparation before launch, the mirror is sprayed with nitrogen to remove possible accumulated dust, and all systems are extensively tested. Finally, on April 24, 1990, the space shuttle Discovery successfully sent the telescope into planned orbit on STS-31.

From its original total budget of about $ 400 million to the current cost of more than $ 2.5 billion, Hubble's costs continue to accumulate and increase. The US government estimates that expenditures will be as high as US $ 4.5 to US $ 6 billion, and European capital injections will be as high as US $ 600 million (estimates in 1999).

Hubble Space Telescope Instrument

At launch, the instruments carried by the Harbin Space Telescope were as follows:

Wide area and planetary camera (WF / PC)
Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS)
High-speed photometer (HSP)
Dark Celestial Camera (FOC)
Dark Celestial Spectrograph (FOS)

WF / PC was originally planned to be a high-resolution camera for optical observation. Manufactured by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, with a set of 48 optical filters, which can filter special bands for astrophysics observation. The entire set of instruments used 8 CCDs, and two cameras were made, each using 4 CCDs. The "Wide Field Camera" (WFC) loses its resolution due to its wider field of view, and the "Planetary Camera" (PC) has a higher focal length than WFC, so it has a higher magnification.

GHRS is a spectrograph designed to be used in the ultraviolet band. It is manufactured by the Goddard Space Center and has a spectral resolution of 90,000. It also selects suitable observation targets for FOC and FOS. FOC and FOS are the highest resolution instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope. All three instruments abandoned the CCD and used a digital photon counter as the detection device. FOC is manufactured by the European Space Agency and FOS is manufactured by Martin Marietta.

The last instrument is the HSP designed and manufactured by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It is used to observe variable stars in the visible and ultraviolet bands, and other celestial bodies that have been screened for changes in brightness. Its photometer can detect 100,000 times per second with an accuracy of at least 2%.

The Hubble Space Telescope's guidance system can also be used as a scientific instrument. Its three Fine Guide Star Sensors (FGS) are mainly used to maintain the accuracy of the telescope's pointing during observation, but can also be used to perform very accurate Astronomical measurement, the accuracy of the measurement reaches 0.0003 arc seconds.

Hubble Space Telescope Problems and Repairs

From its original idea in 1946 until its launch, plans to build a space telescope have been delayed and plagued by budget issues. Immediately after its launch, spherical aberration was found in the main mirror, which severely reduced the telescope's observation capabilities. Fortunately, after the maintenance mission in 1993, the telescope restored the planned quality and became the most important tool for astronomy research and public relations. ^[3]

Hubble's future depends on the success of subsequent maintenance tasks. Several gyroscopes that maintain stability have been damaged. By 2007, even the spare ones have been exhausted, and the function of another telescope for pointing is also fading. Gyroscopes must be repaired manually. On January 30, 2007, the main Advanced Sky Survey Camera (ACS) also stopped working. Only the ultra-ultraviolet channels were available until manual repairs were performed. On the other hand, without further ascension to increase the orbital height, drag will force the telescope to return to the atmosphere in 2010. Since the unfortunate event of the Space Shuttle Columbia in 2003, as the International Space Station and Hubble are not at the same height, astronauts lack a safe refuge in emergency situations. Therefore, NASA believes that manned space missions to repair the Hubble telescope are Unreasonable dangerous task. After NASA's re-examination, CEO McGriffin decided on October 31, 2006 to conduct the last Hubble maintenance mission in Atlanta. The mission was scheduled for September 11, 2008. Based on safety considerations, Discovery will be on standby on the LC-39B launch pad to provide rescue in case of an emergency. The planned repairs will allow the Hubble Space Telescope to continue operating until 2013. If it succeeds, the successor James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) should have been launched and can be connected to the mission. The Weber Space Telescope has far more functions than Hubble on many research projects, but will only observe infrared, so it cannot replace Hubble's function in the visible and ultraviolet fields of the spectrum.

Defective Hubble Space Telescope lens

A few weeks after the telescope was launched, the pictures returned revealed serious problems with the optical system. Although the first image looked sharper than the ground-based telescope, the telescope obviously did not reach the best focus state, and the best image quality obtained was far lower than originally expected. The image of the point source is diffused into a circle with a radius of more than one arc second, instead of the standard in the design guidelines: a point diffusion function image with concentric circles concentrated within 0.1 arc seconds in diameter.

Analysis of pattern defects shows that the root cause of the problem is that the shape of the main mirror has been worn out. The mirror edge is too flat, about 2.2 micrometers from the required position, but this difference causes catastrophic, severe spherical aberration. The reflected light from the specular edge cannot be focused at the same focal point as the reflected light from the center.

The effect of mirror flaws is that in the core observation of scientific observation, the PSF of the core aberration should be sharp enough to be resolved at high resolution, but the bright celestial body and spectral analysis are not affected. Although, a large amount of light is lost at the periphery because it cannot be focused on the focus, causing halo images, which seriously degrades the ability of the telescope to observe dark celestial bodies or high-contrast images. This means that almost all research projects on cosmology cannot be carried out because they are very dimly observed objects. NASA and the Hubble Space Telescope have become the target of many jokes and are considered big white elephants (expensive and useless things).

The root cause of the Hubble Space Telescope problem

Tracing back from the image of the point source, astronomer Hu determined that the conic constant of the mirror surface was 1.01324 instead of 1.00230 as originally expected. The same values were obtained by analyzing PerkinElmer's zero corrector (an instrument that accurately measures polished surfaces) and analyzing interferogram images of mirrors tested on the ground.

A committee led by Jet Propulsion Laboratory director, Aaron, determined how the error occurred. The Aaron Commission found that the zero corrector used by PerkinElmer was incorrectly assembled, and its field lens position was deviated by 1.3 mm.

While polishing the mirror, PerkinElmer used two other zero correctors, both of which (correctly) showed that the mirror had spherical aberrations. These tests are designed to eliminate spherical aberrations. Regardless of the quality control documents, the company believes that these two zero correctors are not as accurate as the main equipment and ignore the test results.

The Commission noted that the main cause of the failure was PerkinElmer. Frequent changes in schedules and overruns in telescope manufacturing costs have caused extreme tension between NASA and the optics company. NASA found that PerkinElmer did not consider the making of mirrors to be a critical and difficult task in their business, and that NASA had failed to perform its duties well before polishing. While the committee criticized PerkinElmer's improper and lack of management, NASA was also criticized for failing to fulfill its quality control responsibility, and should not rely on the test results of the only instrument. .

Hubble Space Telescope Solution

In the design of the telescope, maintenance tasks were originally planned, so astronomers immediately began to find a solution that can be solved when the first maintenance task is scheduled for 1993. It would be too expensive and time-consuming for Kodak to make replacement mirrors for Hubble on orbit, and it would not be possible to temporarily bring the telescope back to the ground for repair. In contrast, the wrong shape of the lens has been accurately measured, so an optical system with the same spherical aberration but the opposite power can be designed to offset the error. That is, in the first maintenance task, Hubble was equipped with a pair of glasses capable of correcting spherical aberration.

Due to the design of the original instrument, two different sets of calibration instruments were required. The design of wide-area and planetary cameras includes rotating lenses and eight independent CCD chips that directly enter the two cameras, and an anti-spherical aberration lens can be used to completely eliminate the major deformations on their surfaces. The correction mirror is fixed in the replacement second-generation wide-area and planetary camera (due to the pressure of schedule and budget, only 4 CCDs are corrected instead of 8). However, other instruments lack any intermediate surface that can be placed, so an additional correction device is required.

COSTAR Hubble Space Telescope COSTAR

The instrument designed to correct spherical aberrations is called "Space Telescope Optical Axis Compensation Correction Optics" (COSTAR). It basically contains two mirrors on the optical path, one of which corrects the spherical aberration, and the light is focused on the dark object Camera, dark celestial spectrometer, and Gundam Jr. high resolution spectrograph. To provide the required position of COSTAR in the telescope, one of the instruments must be removed. Astronomers' choice is to sacrifice the high-speed photometer.

During the first three years of the Hubble mission, the telescope still performed a large number of observations before the optical system was corrected. Spectral observations were not affected by spherical aberrations, but observations of many faint celestial bodies were cancelled or postponed due to poor telescope performance. Despite the setbacks, optimistic astronomers have made many scientific advances in the past three years with proficient use of image processing techniques, such as reverse refracting (image overlay).

Hubble Space Telescope maintenance mission and new instruments

1 Hubble Space Telescope Maintenance Mission 1

In design, the Hubble Space Telescope must be maintained regularly, but after the problem of the mirror becomes clear, the first maintenance becomes very important because the astronauts must comprehensively perform the installation and calibration of the telescope optical system. . The seven astronauts selected for the mission received intensive training using nearly a hundred specially designed tools. During the STS-61 voyage of December 1993, Endeavour reinstalled several instruments and other equipment in 10 days.

Most importantly, high-speed photometers were replaced with COSTAR correction optics, and wide-area and planetary cameras were replaced by second-generation wide-area and planetary cameras with internal optical update systems. In addition, solar panels and driven electronics, four gyroscopes for telescope positioning, two control panels, two magnetometers, and other electronic components were also replaced. The computer carried on the telescope has also been updated. As the thin atmosphere of the upper layer still has resistance, the orbit that gradually decays within three years has also been improved.

On January 13, 1994, NASA announced that the mission was a complete success and showed many new pictures. The mission undertaken this time was very complicated. A total of five space shuttle activities were carried out. Its response not only gave the NASA a very high evaluation, but also brought astronomers a fully qualified space mission. telescope.

Subsequent maintenance missions were not so dramatic, but each time brought new capabilities to the Hubble Space Telescope.

2 Hubble Space Telescope Maintenance Mission 2

The second maintenance mission was performed by Discovery on STS-82 in February 1997, replacing Goddard High Resolution with Space Telescope Image Spectrograph (STIS), Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Target Spectrometer (NICMOS) Spectrograph (GHRS) and Dark Celestial Spectrograph (FOS); replaced engineering and scientific recorders with a new solid-state recorder, repaired thermal blankets and re-elevated Hubble's orbit. Near-infrared cameras and multi-target spectrometers include a heat sink made of solid nitrogen to reduce thermal noise from the instrument. However, after installation, part of the heat diffusion from the heat sink entered the optical baffle unexpectedly. This additional heat caused the life of the instrument to be shortened from the originally expected 4.5 years to 2 years.

3A Hubble Space Telescope Maintenance Mission 3A

After the failure of three of the six gyroscopes (the fourth failed several weeks before the mission, making the telescope incapable of scientific observation), the third maintenance mission was still performed by Discovery STS-103 in December 1999 During the voyage. All six gyroscopes were replaced during this maintenance. A fine guide sensor and computer were also replaced. An assembled voltage / temperature improvement kit (VIK) was installed to prevent overheating of the battery, and the insulation was replaced. Blanket. The new calculator is the Intel 486, which can operate under low-temperature radiation, and can perform some spacecraft-related calculations that had to be handled on the ground.

3B Hubble Space Telescope Maintenance Mission 3B

The fourth maintenance mission was performed by Columbia on STS-109 in March 2002. It replaced the Dark Astronomy Camera (FOC) with an Advanced Sky Survey Camera (ACS), and examined how nearly the coolant had been depleted in 1999. Infrared camera and multi-target spectrometer (NICMOS). After replacing the new cooling system, although it could not reach the low temperature expected in the original design, it was cold enough to continue working.

Solar panels were replaced again during this mission. The new solar panel was developed for the Iridium satellite and is only two-thirds the size of the original one. In addition to effectively reducing the resistance caused by the thin atmosphere, it can also supply 30% more power. This extra power allows all instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope to operate at the same time, and because it is relatively soft, it also eliminates the problem of vibrations caused by old solar panels entering and leaving the sun-illuminated area. In order to correct the problem of relay lag, Hubble's power distribution system has also been updated. This is the first time that the Hubble Space Telescope can fully use the power obtained after it has taken off. Among them, the two most influential instruments, the advanced sky survey camera, near-infrared camera, and multi-target spectrometer, jointly completed the Hubble ultra-deep space field of view from 2003 to 2004.

SM4 Hubble Space Telescope recent maintenance mission (SM4)

The Hubble SM4 mission is the last Hubble maintenance mission planned by NASA and was originally scheduled for August 2008. The astronauts will be replaced with new batteries and gyroscopes, a fine guide star sensor (FGS), and a space telescope image spectrograph (STIS). They will also install two new instruments: a cosmic-origin spectrum analyzer and a third-generation wide-area camera, but they may not reset or replace the advanced survey camera. However, NASA announced in September 2008 that the data processing system on the Hubble Space Telescope had a serious failure, which could not normally store observation data and return it to the earth. Moreover, the Hubble space mission is very far away from the International Space Station. The failure of people to find effective safe havens in emergency situations has made maintaining the Hubble Telescope an extremely dangerous task. After consideration by NASA, the original maintenance mission will be postponed after May 12, 2009, and the space shuttle STS-125 will be carried out by the space shuttle Atlantis. It will consider another space shuttle to be on standby at the launch pad for safety. This will be the last maintenance mission of the Hubble Space Telescope, which will extend the life of the Hubble Space Telescope beyond 2013. The launch of the James Webb Space Telescope will continue the astronomical mission of the Hubble Space Telescope. But if the mission fails, the Hubble Space Telescope will fall into the atmosphere and be reimbursed in 2010.

At 14:01 EST on May 11, 2009, the US space shuttle Atlantis was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During this space trip, the seven astronauts on board carried out the last maintenance of the Hubble Space Telescope through five space walks, replaced a large number of equipment and auxiliary equipment, and carried out renewed maintenance updates. These updates include: replacing WFPC2 with a new third-generation wide-area camera (WFC3); installing a new Cosmic Origin Spectrum Analyzer (COS), retrieving the COSTAR optical correction system there; repairing a damaged Advanced Survey Camera (ACS) Repair the damaged space telescope image spectrograph (STIS); replace the damaged 2 # fine guide star sensor (FGS); replace the scientific instrument instruction and data processing system (SIC & DH); replace all battery modules; replace all 6 gyroscopes and 3 sets of positioning sensors (RSU); replace the docking ring, install a new thermal insulation blanket (NBOL), replenish the refrigerant and more.

At 08:57 EST on May 19, 2009, female astronaut Megan McAtlantis Arthur used the robotic arm of the "Atlantis" space shuttle to release Hubble into the shipping bay. This maintenance not only improved the observation performance of the Hubble Telescope in all aspects, but also expected to extend its service life to at least 2014. NASA will test the telescope and plans to release the first photos taken after Hubble's repairs in September. Due to the extremely high risk of this operation, NASA also arranged the Space Shuttle Endeavour to stand by, ready to "rescue" from heaven. Due to weather conditions, the landing was delayed for 3 days and did not land directly at the Kennedy Center Space Shuttle Airport. However, on Sunday morning, May 24, 2009, the space shuttle Atlantis landed safely at Edwards Air Force Base.

The first photo of WFC3 was released on July 24, 2009. The latest impact traces of Jupiter were taken, and the final fine calibration continued. Until October 20, 2009, in addition to NICMOS, Hubble's main scientific instrument Both have invested in intense scientific research.

Scientific achievements of the Hubble Space Telescope

Hubble Space Telescope important findings

Hubble helped solve some of the problems that have plagued astronomers for a long time, and derived new holistic theories to explain these results. One of Hubble's many major tasks is to measure the distance of Cepheid variable stars more accurately than before. This allows us to more accurately determine the value range of the Hubble constant, so that we can determine the expansion rate and age of the universe. More correct perception. Prior to Hubble's ascension, the statistical error of the Hubble constant was estimated to be 50%, but after Hubble re-measured Cepheid variable star distances in the Virgo cluster and other distant galaxy clusters, the accuracy of the measured values provided can Within 10%. This is consistent with the results measured after Hubble's launch with other more reliable techniques.

Hubble has also been used to improve the age of the universe, and the future of the universe is also one of the questions being questioned. Astronomers from the High Redshift Supernova Search Group and the Supernova Cosmology Project used telescopes to observe supernovae at long distances, and found that the expansion of the universe may actually be accelerating. This acceleration has been confirmed by observations by Hubble and other ground-based telescopes, but the cause of the acceleration is still difficult to understand. According to Hubble Space Telescope observations, the age of the universe is 13.7 billion years.

The high-resolution spectra and images provided by Hubble clearly confirmed the prevailing theory that black holes exist in the nucleus of galaxies. In the early 1960s, it was only a hypothesis that black holes would be found in the cores of some galaxies. It was only in the 1980s that some cores of galaxies might be candidates for black hole candidates. Hubble's work made the core of galaxies to be black holes. A universal and common perception. Hubble's plan will focus on the close relationship between the core black hole mass and the nature of the galaxy in the future. Hubble's research on black holes in the galaxy will have a profound and long-term impact on the development of the galaxy and the connection of central black holes.

Comet Humemaker-Levy 9 hit Jupiter in 1994 as a surprise to astronomers. Fortunately, the collision occurred months after Hubble completed the first maintenance and repair of the optical system. Therefore, the image obtained by Hubble is the clearest image since Voyager 2 flew Jupiter in 1979. Fortunately, the dynamic event of a comet colliding with Jupiter that is estimated to occur only in centuries provides the key Sexual learning opportunities. It is also used to study celestial bodies around the solar system, including the dwarf planets Pluto and Pluto.

The Hubble Space Telescope has discovered a hot "rugby" exoplanet. The planet was torn and heated because it was too close to the star, the atmosphere was accelerating and the entire planet was on the verge of being swallowed. The planet is too close to the star, on the edge of being torn by tidal forces. This "death hug" has caused it to distort into a rugby shape, with an atmospheric temperature above 2500 degrees Celsius ^[4] .

Hubble Space Telescope Military Use

In fact, the various rumors that Hubble used for ground reconnaissance are ridiculous, because the space ground reconnaissance technology that the US military really uses is more than two generations ahead of Hubble's technology. For example, the KH-11 Keyhole reconnaissance satellite, which was manufactured by Lockheed Martin with Hubble, has the same manufacturing time. Its ground resolution is 15cm, which is much higher than Hubble s 26cm. Its appearance is similar to Hubble, and people who do not understand this field may mistake it for Hubble. Hubble used to operate on the ground because it needed to calibrate equipment.

However, it is reported that according to the exposed photos of the Russian A60 airborne laser weapon test machine (Beriev A-60, a Soviet-style relic), the fuselage logo pattern clearly shows the laser attack on the Hubble Space Telescope. This may reflect Russia's view that the Hubble Telescope poses a military threat to them, or a clear warning sign.

Hubble Space Telescope related film and television works

Hubble 3D: 2010 IMAX3D movie.
Gravity: The fictional Space Shuttle Explorer was hit by debris while performing HST maintenance missions.