when was the hubble space telescope launched by space shuttle discovery
Hubble Space Telescope Hubble is the only telescope designed to be serviced in space by astronauts. After launch by Space Shuttle Discovery in 1990, five subsequent Space Shuttle missions repaired, upgraded, and replaced systems on the telescope, including all five of the main instruments. The fifth mission was initially canceled on safety grounds following the Columbia disaster (2003). However, after spirited public discussion, NASA administrator Mike Griffin approved the fifth servicing mission, completed in 2009. The telescope is operating as of 2018[update], and could last until 2030â€“2040.[3] Its scientific successor, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), is scheduled for launch in March 2021.[8]