Satellite snaps amazing 36th birthday pic of Hubble Space Telescope (photo)
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Vantor’s WorldView Legion 4 satellite captured this photo from the Hubble Space Telescope on April 23, 2026, from a distance of 38.4 miles (61.8 kilometers). | Credit: Vantor
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope received a stunning space photo for a change.
Friday (April 24), Hubble’s 36th anniversaryColorado-based space intelligence firm Vantor released a stunning close-up photo of the telescope taken the day before by one of its WorldView Legion Earth observation satellites.
“Let’s celebrate 36 years of discovery with the Hubble Space Telescope“, Vantor wrote in a Message who shared the photo. “For more than three decades, Hubble has expanded our understanding of the universe — delivering breathtaking images and groundbreaking science that continue to inspire. Proud to support the technologies and teams that make moments like this possible. »
The post also gives some details about the image and Hubble itself, which was launched for low earth orbit (LEO) on board the Space Shuttle Discovery on April 24, 1990.
For example, the space photo was taken just 61.8 kilometers away, providing “an incredible perspective of one of humanity’s most iconic scientific instruments,” the X post reads. “With a spatial sampling distance of 4.0 cm [1.6 inches]Hubble’s iconic cylindrical body, shiny thermal shielding and extensive solar panels are clearly visible, along with the open-opening door on the front of the telescope“.
Vantor (formerly known as Maxar Intelligence) operates six WorldView Legion satellites, all of which orbit at the same general altitude, approximately 322 miles (518 km) above Earth. The sharp-eyed spacecraft can resolve features as small as 30 cm (11.8 inches) on their home planet.
The new Hubble photo was captured by WorldView Legion 4, a Vantor spokesperson told Space.com via email. This satellite reached its orbit at the top of a EspaceX Falcon 9 rocket in August 2024with WorldView Legion 3. (The other four went to space aboard Falcon 9 in May 2024 and February 2025, with two satellites launched on each launch.)
Hubble launched to LEO with a faulty mirror, which was repaired by the astronauts during a maintenance mission in 1993. The telescope has continued to expand since then, capturing astonishing images of the cosmos that have captivated astronomers and laymen alike.
Hubble recently showed signs of advanced agebut the iconic observatory continues to make important scientific observations and discoveries. NASA has expressed optimism that the telescope will continue to operate until 2035.
