Hubble Vision

Synopsis

On 13 December 1993, the space shuttle Endeavour returned to earth with the team of astronauts whose mission was to repair the Hubble space telescope. Had their mission failed, it could have broken both the space telescope project and NASA itself. Up until the recent repair mission, the ambitious Hubble space telescope project was proving to be an embarrassment, especially at a time when the vast cost of space research was under scrutiny. Recollections of the astronauts are intercut with dramatic film of their hanging in space as they perform their unprecedented surgery on the telescope, which is the size of a four-storey building. The most important item to be fitted was COSTAR, the corrective optics space telescope axial replacement. This is a device of corrective mirrors to fit like spectacles to rectify the telescope’s faulty vision.

Series

Horizon, Series

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Medium

Video; Videocassette. Standard formats. col. 50 min.

Year of production

1994

Availability

Sale; 2000 sale: £99.00 (+VAT +p&p)

Notes

Broadcast on BBC2 on 7 March 1994.
Reviewed by Kevin Bewsey in British Council ‘Video Select’, Dec 1994

Subjects

Astronomy; Technology

Keywords

space technology; telescopes

Credits

Producer

Alec Nisbett

Cast

Roger Abbott

Production Company

Name

BBC Television

Distributor

Name

BBC Active Video for Learning - now BBC Learning

Contact

Carolina Fernandez Jeremy Wilcox (CF - for educational enquiries JW - channel sales manager)

Email

BBCStudiosLearning@bbc.com

Web

https://www.bbcstudioslearning.com/ External site opens in new window

Phone

+44 (0) 20 8433 1009

Address

BBC Studios Limited
Television Centre
101 Wood Lane
London
W12 7FA
UK

Notes

The BBC Active company has now been absorbed within BBC Learning, a division of BBC Studios. It was originally a joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Pearson Education. Formerly known as ‘BBC Worldwide Learning Studies’ and before that as ‘Videos for Education & Training’