15 years ago - on 24 April 1990, Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was launched. No other telescope in space has had a similar impact on astronomy at large, and the ESA TV Service is releasing a series of three special programmes on the achievements and perspective of HST.
These special programmes bring together a large amount of-often not yet released- 3-D graphics of HST results and the phenomena it has sbeen observing.
Today's transmission focuses on the Hubble Space Telescope's servicing in space and on two of the missions which will eventually continue its legacy: the ESA/NASA James Webb Space Telescope, and GAIA, an ESA astrometry mission.
The Programme is made of an A-roll (split audio, English) of five minutes plus a B-roll with clean international sound.

VNR : Hubble Special 3 ñ Hubble and beyond
A-roll script
10:00:40 On 24 April 2005 the Hubble Space Telescope, the most successful project in space science, will celebrate its 15 th anniversary in space. Hubble, a joint ESA and NASA project, has revolutionized astronomy by looking deeper than ever before towards the beginning of space and time. And Hubbleís stunning images have had a lasting impact on public interest for astronomy.
What is the difference between Hubble and every telescope on the ground? In space, star light reaches Hubbleís mirror undistorted by fluctuations and movements of the atmosphere: distant stars and galaxies are depicted with unmatched sharpness. Astronomers on the ground are limited to observations in visible light because ultraviolet and infrared waves are absorbed by the atmosphere: a wealth of information is literally lost when star light hits the ground ñ this is why todayís telescopes are built on the highest mountain tops.
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