Scientists first imagined putting a telescope in space in the 1920s. Hubble, launched into orbit in 1989, is the fruit of many years of experimentation and a whole lot of painstaking engineering. From its solar power panels to its 7-foot mirror, the Hubble is an unparalleled eye on the cosmos. Get to know it, inside and out. Physics 101: Redshift and the expanding universe. A brief history of the telescope as a skywatching tool and the development of an observatory above earth. Hubble was built to be serviced, and new instruments keep stretching the telescope's range of vision. Read about the upcoming servicing mission, which we'll be following in November 2001. View even more resources related to the Hubble Space Telescope.

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