As NASA gets ready for the next servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope in late 2001, the Exploratorium, San Francisco, is teaming up with the Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore and Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD to look at the accomplishments of this orbiting observatory. After 11 years of operation, the space telescope is still capturing stunning images of distant galaxies and helping scientists answer the most fundamental questions about the origin and fate of our universe. The Exploratorium Live@: Origins crew will take a behind-the-scenes look at the people, tools, ideas, and places behind the Hubble Space Telescope operations. The series will end on the 11th anniversary of Hubble's launch with the first-ever live webcast inside the clean room at Goddard Space Flight Center where telescope hardware is being prepared for flight.
Schedule of Events:
April 19: Why a Telescope in Space
2 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time)/11 a.m. (Pacific Daylight Time)
Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore
We'll find out what's so special about putting a telescope above the atmosphere, by making a live visit to the hub of operations for the Space Telescope and talking with scientists who have nurtured Hubble from the beginning.
April 20: Getting Time on the Telescope
2 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time)/11 a.m. (Pacific Daylight Time)
Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, flight operations room
How much time does an astronomer need to get that image? We'll talk with scientists about how they plan their experiments, and learn what it takes to make their case for dedicated time on the telescope.
April 21: Making Sense of What Hubble Gives Us
4 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time)/1 p.m. (Pacific Daylight Time)
Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore
A unique chance to watch the live progression of the making of a Hubble image! We'll select a telescope observation to follow over the course of the following webcasts, showing you the steps along the way as it goes from raw data to a full-color picture. And we'll talk with people who bring Hubble's fantastic images and scientific discoveries to the public.
April 22: Astronomy to Art: Making Hubble Heritage
4 p.m.(Eastern Daylight Time)/1 p.m. (Pacific Daylight Time)
Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore
Hubble's pictures have changed our understanding of the galaxy. We'll meet some scientists who will show us how their images and observations have led to important new discoveries about the universe. And we'll check in on our own imaging project and present the results for the first time.
April 24: Last Stop Before Space
2 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time)/11 a.m. (Pacific Daylight Time)
Goddard Space Flight Center clean room
The first-ever live event inside the NASA clean room where space hardware is being prepared for the Hubble Space Telescope. We'll get dressed in "bunny suits" to explore the room and show you the activities of engineers and scientists getting ready for the next Hubble servicing mission in November.
*Event dates are subject to the mission simulation schedule. Check website www.exploratorium.edu/hubble for exact dates and times.
The Exploratorium is located inside the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco's Marina District.
The Space Telescope Science Institute is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA) for NASA, under contract with the Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).