Why is the Hubble Space Telescope serviced?
NASA designed the telescope so that astronauts could easily remove the observatory's science instruments and components and replace them with more technologically advanced equipment. The agency adopted this approach because it wanted to make sure the telescope remained on the forefront of scientific discovery. The Institute assists in the servicing missions by making sure ground operations easily accommodate the new equipment.How often do astronauts service the telescope?
By the time the telescope's mission ends, astronauts will have visited it five times - in 1993, 1997, 1999, 2002, and 2005 - and have installed dozens of new components and instruments featuring more advanced technology and enabling new kinds of astronomical observations.
Technician holds a mirror for an infrared camera installed during the February 1997 servicing mission.