Apollo 8, December 17, 1968
High-angle view of the Apollo 8 (Spacecraft 103/Saturn 503) space vehicle at Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The Apollo 8 stack was photographed during a prelaunch alert-mobile service structure pull back.
(Credit: NASA-KSC)

Hi-res: http://www.apolloarchive.com/apg_thumbnail-test.php…

Apollo 16, April 21, 1972
Astronaut John W. Young, commander of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, works at the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) just prior to deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) during the first extravehicular activity (EVA-1) on April 21, 1972. Note the Ultraviolet (UV) Camera/Spectrometer to the right of the Lunar Module (LM) ladder. Also, note the pile of protective/thermal foil under the U.S. flag on the LM which the astronauts pulled away to get to the Modular Equipment Storage Assembly (MESA) bay. While astronauts Young and Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot; descended in the Apollo 16 lm “Orion” to explore the Descartes highlands landing site on the Moon, astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (csm) “Casper” in lunar orbit.

(Credit: NASA-ALSJ)
Hi-res: http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a16/AS16-116-18578HR.jpg

STS-130, February 11, 2010
NASA astronaut Robert Behnken, STS-130 mission specialist, participates in the mission's first session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the 6-hour, 32-minute spacewalk, Behnken and astronaut Nicholas Patrick (out of frame), mission specialist, relocated a temporary platform from the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, or Dextre, to the station's truss structure and installed two handles on the robot. Once Tranquility was structurally mated to Unity, the spacewalkers connected heater and data cables that will integrate the new module with the rest of the station's systems. They also pre-positioned insulation blankets and ammonia hoses that will be used to connect Tranquility to the station's cooling radiators during the mission's second spacewalk.

(Credit: NASA-JSC)
Hi-res: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/…/sts-1…/hires/iss022e062898.jpg

14 Reasons to Fall in Love with Hubble this Valentine’s Day

Bring out the bubbly! Hubble is celebrating 25 years of science this April. Here’s why you should be in love with Hubble, if you weren’t already.

posted on Feb. 13, 2015,

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Bring out the bubbly!

Our Hubble Space Telescope is celebrating 25 years of science this April. Here’s why you should be in love with Hubble, if you weren’t already.

1. It knows how to impress.

NASA, ESA, and the Hubble SM4 ERO Team / Via hubblesite.org

Its jaw-dropping pictures blew our minds and transformed our understanding of the universe forever.

NASA, ESA, N. Smith (University of California, Berkeley), Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) / Via hubblesite.org

Mind. Blown.

2. Like fine wine, Hubble got better with age.

NASA, ESA, STScI, J. Hester and P. Scowen (Arizona State University) / Via hubblesite.org

After the space telescope’s last servicing mission, it’s better than ever. Compare before and after pictures of the Eagle Nebula after its cameras were upgraded.

Above: Taken using Hubble’s Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2), installed in 2002.
Below: Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 replaced WFPC2 in 2009.

NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) / Via hubblesite.org

3. It’s like us, only better.

ESA, NASA and P. Anders (Göttingen University Galaxy Evolution Group, Germany) / Via hubblesite.org

Hubble can see the same visible light as we do, but from distant and fainter objects, making it like an extension of ourselves. It’s like the Superman of telescopes.

4. It’s a total geek.

NASA, ESA, HEIC, and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) / Via hubblesite.org

Its images have inspired content for video games, movies, music, etc. Hubble’s the original classic.

5. Everything it does revolves around us.

NASA/ESA / Via hubblesite.org

It spins around our little blue planet ever-so-faithfully at 17,500 mph.

6. It’s well-travelled.

NASA / Via nasa.gov

Since its launch, Hubble has travelled more than 3 billion miles around the world. The best part is, we’re expecting it to keep going strong until at least 2020.

7. It’s got huge amounts of data.

NASA, ESA, M. Robberto (Space Telescope Science Institute/ESA) and the Hubble Space Telescope Orion Treasury Project Team / Via hubblesite.org

Hubble generates about 10 Terabytes, or 1000 Gigabytes of new data per year.

8. It’s a high achiever.

NASA/STScI / Via hubblesite.org

Within 4 years of launching, Hubble’s data helped confirm the existence of black holes. Most toddlers that age can’t even tie their own shoelaces.

9. It’s got an eye on the prize.

NASA, ESA, E. Jullo (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), P. Natarajan (Yale University), and J.-P. Kneib (Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille, CNRS, France) / Via hubblesite.org

Hubble’s observations of a special supernovae helped dark energy researchers win the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics.

10. It’s one of the popular kids on the block.

NASA, ESA, and J. Garvin (NASA/GSFC) / Via hubblesite.org

Thousands of scientists apply for precious observing time using Hubble every year.

11. Hubble’s a hard worker.

NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) / Via hubblesite.org

It’s made more than 1 million observations since its mission began in 1990. Astronomers have used Hubble’s data to publish more than 12,000 scientific papers.

12. It inspires the best in us.

NASA / Via mix.msfc.nasa.gov

Teams of brave men and women have risked their lives going to space just to make sure Hubble’s vision is 20/20 and in the best shape it can be.

13. Hubble’s all about making us smarter.

Via youtube.com

In fact, STEM education materials involving Hubble are used in all 50 States and integrated into programs of more than half of US state departments of education.

14. It’s got cool friends.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/O. Krause (Steward Observatory) / Via spitzer.caltech.edu

Hubble buddies up with other NASA Great Observatories like the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Spitzer Space Telescope to help unravel the secrets of our solar system and beyond.

Behold, the power of teamwork!