Timeline.

Since my publication for the 20 years of Hubble will be based on a timeline format i need to gather as much information about Hubble's past as i can, i will begin the story with Edwin Hubble, the man the telescope is named after, i already have a comfortable amount of research for him as it will be a short paragraph about his past and achievements.

The chapters will be as stated:


› Hubble legacy

› Edwin Hubble. 1889 - 1953 (1918 discovered dopler shift)

› Concept of space telescope is born. 1923

› LST large space telescope is approved. 1977

› Production of the telescope and initial instruments begins. 1981 - 1985

› Challenger Disaster. 1986

› Launch of the telescope. 1990. 25 April

› Spherical aberration discovered in the Hubble primary mirror. 1990. 25 June

› COSTAR approved: The creation of a complex package of five optical mirror pairs to rectify the spherical aberration in Hubble's primary mirror. 1990

› First Servicing Mission (STS-61) launched on 2 December 1993 (Endeavour).
COSTAR corrective optics installed, replacing HSP (High Speed Photometer).
WFPC2 (Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2) replaced WFPC1 (Wide Field and Planetary Camera 1). 1993

› First images since repairs. 1994

› Hubble deep field. 1996

› Servicing Mission 2 (STS-82) launched on 11 February 1997 (Discovery). 1996

STIS (Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph) replaced FOS (Faint Object Spectrograph). NICMOS (Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrograph) replaces GHRS (Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph).

›  Servicing Mission 3A (STS-103) launched on 19 December 1999 (Discovery).

Replacement of gyroscopes. General maintenance (no science instruments replaced).

Telescope placed in safe mode after 4th gyroscope failed. 1999

› Servicing Mission 3B launched on 1 March 2002.

Installation of ACS. Installation of NICMOS Cooling System (NCS). Installation of new Solar Panels. 2002

› Hubble Ultra Deep Field released. 2005

Hubble images two previously unknown moons orbiting Pluto.

› Servicing Mission 4 (STS-125) launched on 11 May 2009.
Installation of WFC3 (Wide Field Camera 3).
Installation of COS (Cosmic Origins Spectrograph).
STIS and ACS repaired.
Gyroscopes and batteries replaced.
Soft Capture Mechanism installed. NOBLs (New Outer Blanket Layers) installed. 2009

› Hubble images show distant galaxies with likely redshifts greater than 8, showing the Universe as it was when it was less than a tenth of its current age. 2010

› Hubble makes its millionth observation, a spectroscopic analysis of the exoplanet HAT-P-7b. 2011


This is a lot of information to gather and use but i feel comfortable with the time i have left, once i have specified my design direction it will be come much more managable.