Hubble Astronauts

From its deployment, and through five additional servicing missions, Hubble's astronauts have kept the telescope in top shape, able to continue conducting great science for years to come.

Quick Facts

The success and longevity of the Hubble Space Telescope would not have been possible without the service of the 32 astronauts who flew across six missions to launch and repair the telescope. The results of their dedication and expertise helped to double Hubble’s lifespan and subsequently led to countless significant discoveries, furthering our knowledge of the universe.

Hubble astronauts come from a diverse range of professions: fighter pilots, oceanographers, veterinarians and more. They have advanced countless frontiers – professionally, physically, and even culturally – and have broken records both in space and on Earth. To learn more about the backgrounds and achievements of Hubble’s astronauts, click through the options below.

Facts

  • Repairs were made while orbiting Earth at 17,000 mph (27,359 kmph)
  • Hubble’s components are modules that astronauts can swap for new ones
  • Astronauts must train at least 10 hours in the neutral buoyancy lab (swimming pool simulator) for every hour of planned spacewalk time.
  • Over 400 astronaut crew aids and tools were made for Hubble's last servicing mission.

Meet the Astronauts

Like the rest of the Hubble team, our astronauts have a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. Read more about our them with this collection of biographies.

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Seven astronauts--six men and one woman--stand in a line in orange astronaut suits, a few of them holding their helmets, with an image of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field in the background.
These seven astronauts took a break from training to pose for the STS-125 crew portrait. From the left are astronauts Michael J. Massimino and Michael T. Good, both mission specialists; Gregory C. Johnson, pilot; Scott D. Altman, commander; K. Megan McArthur, John M. Grunsfeld and Andrew J. Feustel, all mission specialists. The STS-125 mission was the final space shuttle mission to the Hubble Space Telescope.
NASA

Astronaut Missions

Across nearly 20 years from 1990 to 2009, Hubble had six space shuttle missions. The first, in 1990, was its deployment, which launched Hubble into Earth orbit to begin its observations. Between 1993 and 2009, astronauts made five more trips to Hubble--known as "servicing missions"--to repair, improve, and update the telescope.

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Two astronauts stand in a space shuttle cargo bay with Hubble behind them. The Earth, as seen from above in space, is in the background.
Astronauts John M. Grunsfeld (right) and Richard M. Linnehan, STS-109 payload commander and mission specialist, respectively, are photographed near the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) temporarily parked in the Space Shuttle Columbia’s cargo bay at the close of the fifth and final day of extravehicular activities (EVAs). Their spacewalk centered around the Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS), to install a Cryogenic Cooler and its Cooling System Radiator.
NASA

Hubble Astronaut Fun Facts

Go beyond the bios! Just like you, NASA astronauts have many different hobbies and interests. Guess the answers to fun and interesting facts about our Hubble astronauts!

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Astronaut Scott Altman sits in the cockpit of a plane, shooting a thumbs-up to the camera.
Astronaut Scott D. Altman, STS-109 mission commander, photographed in a T-38 trainer jet, prepares for a flight at Ellington Field near Johnson Space Center (JSC).
NASA

Livestream with Megan McArthur

On May 27, 2021, astronaut Megan McArthur spoke with us live from the International Space Station! She discussed her role on the Hubble mission and her current work as part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2.
NASA
Astronauts in Action: Watch as NASA astronauts upgrade and maintain Hubble while floating 340 miles above the Earth.

View some of the photos of the astronauts at work on Hubble servicing missions.