The images were taken January 10 - 13, 2000, as part of the activities to recommission the earth-orbiting telescope. The pictures are a culmination of the successful Space Shuttle servicing mission (STS-103) last December, which restored NASA's premier optical space observatory to full capability beefed-up with new electronics and critically needed replacement gyroscopes. Hubble has now resumed probing the universe's many mysteries with a crystal-clear view.

"Thanks to the great work by the astronauts, Hubble is better than new," said Dr. Ed Weiler, NASA Associate Administrator for Space Science. "I think there is no better proof than these pictures that NASA's capability to send humans into space to work on Hubble has had a vital role in space science and the renaissance in astronomy we're now seeing."

"After a two-month hiatus, it is a tremendous boost to all of astronomy to see Hubble back in action. NASA has restored the observatory to a condition that was better than it was even before the fourth gyroscope failed," said Steven Beckwith, director of the Space Telescope Science Institute, the Hubble science operations center in Baltimore, MD.

To verify the telescope's refurbishment, astronomers resumed operations by aiming it at two scientifically intriguing and photogenic celestial targets. One object is an intricate structure of shells and streamers of gas around a dying sun-like star 5,000 light-years away.

The second target was a massive cluster of galaxies called Abell 2218, which acts like a giant zoom lens in space. The gravitational field of the cluster magnifies the light of more distant galaxies far behind it, providing a deep probe of the very distant universe. The cluster was imaged in full color, providing astronomers with a spectacular and unique new view of the early universe.

Spacecraft operators report that all the new equipment installed on the telescope in December is working perfectly, including the new computer, solid state recorder, and fine guidance sensor. In particular the new gyroscopes are allowing Hubble to reliably point with exquisite precision at celestial objects.

Two key science instruments, the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, are now being used for routine science observations by astronomers worldwide to probe everything from planets, to black holes, to far flung galaxies.

The Space Telescope Science Institute is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. for NASA, under contract with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency.
Image Credits: Credits: NASA, ESA, Andrew Fruchter (STScI), and the ERO team (STScI)

Space Telescope Science Institute

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ViaSat To Buy Scientific-Atlanta's VSAT Business
Carlsbad - January 24 2000 -
Scientific-Atlanta Inc. and ViaSat Inc. have reached a definitive agreement under which ViaSat will acquire the satellite networking businesses of Scientific-Atlanta in a $75 million cash transaction which is anticipated to be immediately accretive to ViaSat's earnings.