  ur eye on the universe,
the Hubble Space Telescope is designed to see ten times more clearly into the cosmos than
typical Earth-based equipment; it can see objects one-billionth as bright as the human
eye can see. Circling Earth every 97 minutes 370 miles (595 kilometers) above the distorting and polluted atmosphere, Hubble sends back images of remarkable clarity. Designed to last 15 years, with servicing about every 3 years, the 43-foot (13-meter) Hubble was put into orbit in 1990 and immediately began transmitting data to Earth. An international project with operations, servicing, and management controlled by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and research projects overseen by the Space Telescope Science Institute, the telescope contains equipment developed by the European Space Agency and a variety of U.S. institutions. Astronomers use several light-gathering tools to probe the universe from our planetary neighbors to the deepest regions of space and time. Use the online space telescope and learn more about how it views the universe. Overview | Light | Positioning | Instruments | Power and Communications | Resources |