Just about everyone has seen and been amazed by the Hubble Space
Telescope’s incredible images of our Universe.
From Star-Forming Nebula and Gigantic Galaxies,
to the beautiful planets in our solar system, For over 30 years Hubble has been re-writing
the textbooks as it continues to expand our own understanding of the universe.
But operating a telescope in space isn’t an easy task. As Hubble orbits
the Earth once every 90 minutes, it’s not exactly as simple as just
spinning the telescope around and telling it to take a quick picture.
And that’s where the STOCC comes in!
Dedicated on February 14th 1984 at NASA Goddard’s Space Flight Center, the STOCC, or the Space
Telescope Operations Control Center, operates the Hubble Space Telescope on its scientific journey.
Built in the early 1980s, this historic location
was one of the most complex satellite control centers ever developed. The
engineers and scientists working at the STOCC maintain the health,
safety, and performance of the telescope as it speeds around Earth at 17,500 miles per hour.
Crewed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the team at the STOCC evolved with changes to computing
technology. In 1999, Goddard upgraded the STOCC’s computers from minicomputers to workstations.
And in 2011, the STOCC utilized smartphone technology and automated processes,
relieving the need for 24/7 staffing.
While the STOCC has undergone many changes over the years,
one thing remains the same: The team's commitment to the Hubble Space Telescope.
The women and men of the mission operations team have been constantly in pursuit of
finding ingenious ways to prolong Hubble’s life to maximize its scientific return.
Today, the mission operations team members at the STOCC continue to operate the telescope,
capturing data and images of the cosmos for all of us to enjoy,
and enabling Hubble to continue its mission of unraveling.
the mysteries of the universe.
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