Happy Birthday Hubble

[Thumper]

Some of our younger astronomers here probably cannot remember a day without the Hubble circling above taking stunning photos.

[Sigma_Orionis]

Cool

[Rommie]

I remember when Hubble was broken, does that count?

[Sigma_Orionis]

So do I

[Thumper]

DVR'd a NOVA show on Hubble. Been able to watch pieces of it lately. Was reminded on the show of this brilliant woman without who the Hubble might never have become reality.

[Thumper]

So in watching that NOVA special on Hubble, there's footage of 2 shuttle missions: The one that deployed Hubble, and the miraculous one with Stormy Musgrave that saved it. I accept that watching Apollo era launch videos looks like ancient history. But the Space Shuttle is the coolest, most futuristic, space ship ever created. Sitting in 2015 watching videos of Shuttle launches from the 90's made me feel old. I chalk it up to the lack of HD cameras. But man that grainy flickery footage from just a few short years ago looked dated...