Hubble, Hubble -- toil, but little trouble

Talk about on-site repair. A crew of seven American astronauts have succeeded in bringing one of the 20th century's most stellar accomplishments up to 21st century standards -- 360 miles in space. The Hubble, a joint project of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the European Space Agency continues to be a triumph.
Like a George Lucas "Star Wars" movie re-released to accommodate technological innovation and new cinematic techniques, the Hubble Space Telescope has a new lease on life.
But rejuvenating the world's greatest observatory was not a task for ordinary repairmen. In fact, while the shuttle's commander, Scott D. Altman, and pilot, Duane Carey, are experienced test pilots, astronauts John M. Grunsfeld, Nancy Currie, James Newman and Michael Massimino hold Ph.D.s and Richard M. Linnehan is a veterinarian.
Together, the crew installed new, more durable solar arrays, a large gyroscopic assembly to help point the telescope properly, a new telescope power control unit and a cooling system to restore the use of a key infrared camera and spectrometer instrument which hasn't been operable since 1999.
More upgrades: In 2004, the Hubble will again be upgraded during a shuttle mission, but the scientific instruments that will be installed are still in development.
Despite incredible U.S. achievements in space technology and exploration, most Americans seem to take for granted what goes on above the planet.
Perhaps because the space shuttle Columbia, which was used for the Hubble repair mission, was on its 27th flight, the wonder has worn off. It shouldn't have. The Hubble has revolutionized humankind's vision of the universe. Forty percent of the highest impact discoveries the telescope has revealed were unanticipated. And some of its other findings have vindicated the theories of American astronomer Edwin P. Hubble, for whom the space telescope is named.
With the telescope's view of the universe dramatically improved, it can go light years beyond what it has already added to research in astronomy and astrophysics. As it expands our knowledge of the universe's history, it expands our knowledge of our own planet's future.