The Hubble Space Telescope launched in 1990 and was originally expected to have a lifespan of just 15 years. It's far exceeded all expectations...
Now the Hubble Space Telescope has been officially granted a reprieve. The orbital telescope will remain operational until at least June 30, 2021, and is expected to continue beyond that point, according to a post on the NASA website.
Phys.org also has a story which notes:
NASA is contractually extending science operations for its Hubble Space Telescope an additional five years. The agency awarded a sole source contract extension Thursday to the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy for continued Hubble science operations support at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.
This action will extend the period of performance from July 1 through June 30, 2021.
[...] After the final space shuttle servicing mission to the telescope in 2009, Hubble is better than ever. Hubble is expected to continue to provide valuable data into the 2020's, securing its place in history as an outstanding general purpose observatory in areas ranging from our solar system to the distant universe.
In 2018, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope will be launched into space as the premier observatory of the next decade, serving astronomers worldwide to build on Hubble's legacy of discoveries and help unlock some of the biggest mysteries of the universe.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has a "segmented 6.5-meter (21 ft) diameter primary mirror" and will "offer unprecedented resolution and sensitivity from long-wavelength (orange-red) visible light, through near-infrared to the mid-infrared (0.6 to 27 micrometers)" whereas the Hubble Space Telescope has a 2.4-meter (7.9 ft) primary mirror and its "four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared spectra."
In short, the JWST is a supplement to Hubble, not a replacement — each telescope provides a different view of the optical spectrum.
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 28 2016, @09:46AM
If a Hubble can get five more years, you know you can vote for FOUR MORE YEARS of OBAMA. Keep the Dream alive Forever!
(Score: 2) by Nerdfest on Tuesday June 28 2016, @10:51AM
There's a spelling mistake in the headline.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Tuesday June 28 2016, @11:52AM
Don't blame Arthur, his glasses lenses were accurately ground to the wrong prescription. Well that's enough stand up comedy for one day.
Being old enough to have followed the whole mission from pre-launch to today, its interesting how the misground mirror story has evolved over the decades. What I read in wikipedia today doesn't sound anything like the contemporary propaganda I heard at the time. At the time it was a weird mix of NASA mgmt sux in general and NASA wouldn't spend any money on Q+A. The wikipedia article reads like the usual human failing, happens in the lab all the time, you got three pieces of test equipment measuring the same thing, and the fanciest and most expensive gods gift to the optic arts claims its dead on perfect and the two cheapie walmart brand testers say its slightly off therefore as a weighted average it must be good.
The eight digit Keysight voltmeter in the lab that costs more than half my new commuter car says its dead on, two walmart battery testers say its a bit low, obviously its perfect, right?
Also I somehow missed that COSTAR was removed. Contemporary reports claimed that COSTAR was a permanent impairment. I suppose logically I always knew every instrument had plans for two, even three generations of upgrade, but never connected the dots that COSTAR is out, sooner or later.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 28 2016, @11:53AM
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 28 2016, @12:44PM
Space is relatively hazard free but enduring dust storms and sand traps for 12 years, now that is f'n amazing
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2016/0127/NASA-s-Opportunity-rover-shatters-expectations-with-12-years-on-Mars [csmonitor.com]
(Score: 2) by Flyingmoose on Tuesday June 28 2016, @01:38PM
I've heard that the gyroscope bearings don't hold up well in zero-g for some reason. I wonder if they'll hold out for another 5 years...
(Score: 2) by Techwolf on Tuesday June 28 2016, @03:54PM
I have read they was defective and the manufacture bribe there way to the contract. Don't know if the new ones was a different manufacture or not.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Leebert on Wednesday June 29 2016, @01:38AM
If for no other reason, I suspect they're doing this to have an excuse to hold onto ops staff at STScI to support JWST once it launches.