It was 25 years ago today that the human race was finally able to really see the stars for the first time. The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) hitched a ride into the heavens on the spacecraft Discovery from the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, FLA — destined to bring the most inconceivably beautiful portraits of the universe ever witnessed. Now in its 25th year spinning around our world in low-Earth orbit, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is aware of its depreciation; not only in natural decay, but in technology. That’s why, in 1996, NASA began work on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to act as the HST’s successor. It is the JWST’s highly-sophisticated infrared cameras which set it apart. These cameras will allow NASA scientists to observe some of the most distant objects in the Universe, including ancient stars formed during the Big Bang and the formation of the first galaxies.
After years of research and development and billions and billions poured into the project, NASA (despite endless scheduling issues) has confirmed a 2018 launch. Although the JWST will be deployed, NASA has reported that they may not pull the HST until 2020. I think we should all take a moment to appreciate what this miracle of technology has provided us over the last 25 years. For instance, without it, we would have never been able to witness its most famous image, the Pillars of Creation, captured within the Eagle Nebula some 7,000 light-years from Earth. LinxSmart, as a technology company, appreciates all the brilliant minds that are behind such innovations, for we wouldn't be here without them.
