We all know and love the images of the cosmos more beautiful and complex than we could have dreamed. 30 years ago this week, @NASAHubble became the first major optical telescope in space. But there’s a story behind those picture perfect images…

Hubble’s first images came back surprisingly… blurry. The telescope wasn’t out of focus. The issue? The telescope’s mirror was incorrectly ground, an imperfection of one-fiftieth the thickness of a human hair.

Scientists and engineers spent 3 years developing a solution, one that would require the precise work of a space shuttle crew. In 1993, the astronauts on orbit captured the telescope and brought it into the shuttle bay for repair.

After a series of spacewalks in which astronauts repaired and upgraded equipment, the telescope was prepared for release once more…

And @NASAHubble was deemed saved. This was the first of five servicing missions for the telescope, the latter conducted to extend the its wavelength range, install new gyros, replace solar panels and more, extending Hubble’s life far beyond its initial design.

For the full story of Hubble’s servicing missions, visit here: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/servicing/index.html

To learn more about @NASAHubble in honor of its 30th anniversary, take a look at this gallery to fix your eyes on what lies beyond: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/multimedia/index.html