35th Anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope

On April 24, 1990, NASA launched the Hubble Space Telescope—a groundbreaking moment in space exploration. Deployed by the crew of Space Shuttle Discovery, Hubble has transformed how we see the universe. It’s captured stunning images of distant galaxies, nebulae, and star-forming regions, and helped astronomers refine our understanding of the age of the universe, the rate of its expansion, and the existence of dark energy.

Originally launched with a flawed mirror, Hubble’s story is also one of perseverance and innovation. A 1993 servicing mission corrected its vision, and from there, it became one of the most productive scientific instruments in history. Even after three decades, Hubble continues to provide breathtaking images and valuable data, reminding us how far we’ve come—and how much more there is to discover. Click here to learn more.

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In 2021, NASA launched the James Webb Space Telescope, designed to see further and deeper into space than ever before. While Hubble captures stunning images in visible and ultraviolet light, Webb focuses on infrared—allowing it to peer through cosmic dust and uncover galaxies, stars, and planets formed over 13 billion years ago. Starting in 2024, images from the James Webb Space Telescope began appearing on the Priority and Express mail stamps.