The Public Astronomy Talks at Keck Observatory are graciously sponsored by the Rob and Terry Ryan Foundation.

About the talk:

From the Hubble Space Telescope to the Habitable Worlds Observatory

The Hubble Space Telescope story has been a fascinating study in public policy, engineering, ethics, and science. The Hubble is perhaps the most productive scientific instrument ever created by humans. In May 2009, a team of astronauts flew to the Hubble Space Telescope on space shuttle Atlantis. On their 13-day mission and over the course of 5 spacewalks they completed an extreme makeover of the orbiting observatory. They installed the Wide Field Camera-3, the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, repaired the Advanced Camera for Surveys and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, as well as a number of maintenance activities. These Hubble spacewalks are considered the most challenging and complex efforts ever of people working in space. Now, 16 years later the Hubble is still going strong. Building on the servicing heritage of Hubble the Habitable Worlds Observatory is in the initial planning stages and promises to be a worthy successor to Hubble. As part of the design the Habitable Worlds Observatory will be serviceable, albeit by robotic means. The adventures of Hubble servicing and the future Habitable Worlds Observatory will be presented in this talk.

About John M. Grunsefeld:

John M. Grunsfeld is a scientist and former astronaut and with extensive experience as a leader in human space exploration, space science missions, and national space policy.  He has served as a NASA astronaut, the Associate Administrator for Science, and Chief Scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Previously he served as the Deputy Director of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, managing the science program for the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope. Grunsfeld’s scientific research is in planetary science and the search for life beyond Earth. Grunsfeld joined the NASA Astronaut Corps in 1992. He is a veteran of five space shuttle flights, (STS-67, STS-81, STS-103, STS-109, and STS-125) of which three flights were to the Hubble Space Telescope. He performed eight spacewalks to service and upgrade the Hubble observatory.

Dr. Grunsfeld graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in physics. He earned a master’s degree and, in 1988, a doctorate in physics from the University of Chicago. In 2015 Grunsfeld was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame, is a Fellow of the American Astronomical Society, and a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He has received numerous awards including the National Space Trophy, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, the NASA Exceptional Leadership Medal, and the AIAA Education Award.