Celebrating Servicing Mission 4

Servicing Mission 4 was the final space shuttle mission to Hubble in 2009. Through a series of complex spacewalks, astronauts repaired and upgraded Hubble, setting it up for a long life of continued scientific discovery. On social media, the Hubble team marked this momentous anniversary with a series of posts and new educational resources.

Celebrating Servicing Mission 4

Astronaut Mike Good in his spacesuit with his feet attached to the shuttle's robotic arm works on Hubble against a backdrop of Earth and space.

Hubble Celebrates the 15th Anniversary of Servicing Mission 4

Fifteen years ago, human hands touched NASA's for the last time.

Background image is of the space shuttle Atlantis lifting off. Title in black: Servicing Mission 4

Hubble's Servicing Mission 4 Celebrates Its 15th Anniversary

In May 2009, a brave team of astronauts embarked on a daring journey aboard space shuttle Atlantis.

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Three bright stars with diffraction spikes shine near the center-right of the image, illuminating nearby clouds that glow in pale blue. The clouds darken at the edges of the image, and are dotted with smaller stars, some also with diffraction spikes.

Hubble Views the Dawn of a Sun-like Star

Hubble captured this image of HPTau with its Wide Field Camera 3, installed during Servicing Mission 4.

Cosmic Origins Spectrograph

The Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, installed during Servicing Mission 4, expanded Hubble’s spectroscopic capabilities.

Wide Field Camera 3

Installed during Servicing Mission 4, the Wide Field Camera 3 continued the pioneering tradition of previous Hubble cameras, but with critical improvements that expanded the telescope’s voyage of discovery.

Against a gray background, this graphic shows a Hubble image of the Crab Nebula at left. To the right, four repeated images in different colors (green, yellow, orange, and red) show the different present elements in the nebula. Beneath them, a horizontal row seen as a jagged rainbow-colored line represents its spectrum.

Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, installed during Servicing Mission 2 in 1997, stopped functioning in August 2004 due to a power supply failure. It was repaired during Servicing Mission 4.

Servicing Mission 4

Hubble was reborn with Servicing Mission 4. The fifth and final serving mission left the observatory at the peak of its scientific capability, and prepared it for many years of further scientific discovery.

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Astronaut in a white space suit smiling in a selfie with a crewmate, the Hubble Space Telescope and the Earth in the background.

STS-125 Mission Specialist 4 Mike Massimino smiles for a photo during the mission's fourth session of extravehicular activity (EVA4). His EVA partner, Mike Good, can be seen in the background.

NASA

Servicing Mission 4 Astronauts

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Official astronaut portrait of Andrew Feustel.

Andrew J. Feustel

Megan McArthur

Official astronaut portrait of Michael Massimino.

MICHAEL J. MASSIMINO

Dr. John Grunsfeld Astronaut and Astronomer

JOHN M. GRUNSFELD

Photo of astronaut Scott Altman in his orange spacesuit. American flag is behind him.

SCOTT D. ALTMAN

Official astronaut portrait of Michael Good.

MICHAEL T. GOOD

Gregory C. Johnson

History

Hubble's Impact on Human Spaceflight

Astronauts spent a total of 57 days, 15 hours, 48 minutes, and 8 seconds in space on missions to Hubble.

Hubble's more than 30 years in orbit were punctuated by periodic visits from astronauts that kept the telescope functioning smoothly and equipped it with increasingly powerful instruments. These visits provided NASA with a unique opportunity: to observe men and women working together in space while developing ways to improve that experience —make it smoother, easier, and less dangerous.

Two astronauts work inside the bottom of Hubble while flying over the earth.

Astronauts Steven L. Smith and John M. Grunsfeld, appear as small figures in this wide-angle photograph taken during an extravehicular activity (EVA) in December 1999. On this spacewalk they replaced the rate sensor units (RSUs, or gyroscopes) inside the Hubble Space Telescope.

NASA

Explore More Hubble

The space shuttle is shown in sunlight in orbit.

Missions to Hubble

Learn more about Hubble's deployment and its five servicing missions,

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Hubble's Design

Hubble is the first space-based observatory specifically designed for servicing while in orbit.

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Large red star in the center of the image surrounded by brown dust and gas swirling around it unevenly.

Hubble Science Highlights

Hubble has affected every area of astronomy. Its most notable scientific discoveries reflect the broad range of research and the breakthroughs it has achieved.

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Illustration of the Hubble Space Telescope (left) and the James Webb Space Telescope (right) on a grey background.

Hubble vs. Webb

Hubble and Webb work together to explore the cosmos. Learn how their observations complement each other, providing us with a broad view of the universe.

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Two engineers talk in the Hubble control center waiting for the Shuttle to launch

Hubble Mission Operations

The Space Telescope Operations Control Center at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center is the engine that keeps Hubble operating 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.

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An Overview of the Space Telescope - cover image

Hubble E-Books

Investigate the mysteries of the universe with Hubble. Learn about Hubble's history and its latest discoveries with these free, downloadable e-books.

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