Galileo's Telescope goes into Orbit Aboard the Space Shuttle
Area: |
Institute |
Start: |
11 May 2009 |
End: |
22 May 2009 |
Description: |
A replica of Galileo's telescope, provided by the Institute and Museum of the History of Science, has been launched into the space aboard the shuttle Atlantis STS 125. The shuttle took off on Monday, May 11 from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral for an 11-day mission aimed at repairing and updating the renowned orbiting Hubble telescope.
The instrument that 400 years ago dramatically changed the idea of the universe will be side-by-side with a treasure of contemporary astronomy, able to show even the boundaries of infinity. This emblematic event marks NASA's contribution to international celebrations of the Tuscan scientist in the four-hundredth anniversary of his first celestial discoveries, in collaboration with the Institute and Museum of the History of Science.
The honor of bringing Galileo's telescope into orbit is committed to veteran spacewalker of Italian origin, Michael "Mike" Massimino. "Bringing Galileo's telescope into the space is a way to honor my origin," Massimino declared. "I hope to be able to bring it outside the Shuttle with me and use it for watching the stars. And once on the Earth again I hope to have the opportunity to bring it back to the Museum of the History of Science in Florence." |
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