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Post by Frenchie on May 20, 2009 10:05:00 GMT 1
The Hubble Space Telescope has been with us for nearly two decades. In that time, its breathtaking images have captured people's imaginations and its groundbreaking science has revealed some of the many secrets of our universe. This morning, at precisely 8:57 a.m. ET, a carefully orchestrated maneuver was carried out 350 miles above the Atlantic coastline of Africa, marking the successful end of the fifth and final shuttle servicing mission. Ever so gently, the Atlantis crew released the grapple fixture on the shuttle's robotic arm, allowing Hubble to resume orbiting Earth on its own, as it has done since its deployment in April 1990. After Hubble's thousands of orbits, thousands of images, five tune-ups and countless discoveries, a space shuttle crew is leaving this great observatory for the last time. More >>
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