Vantor publishes close-up photo of Hubble Space Telescope for its 36th birthday
Updated
Updated · Space.com · Apr 25
Vantor publishes close-up photo of Hubble Space Telescope for its 36th birthday
5 articles · Updated · Space.com · Apr 25
The image, captured on April 23, 2026 by WorldView Legion 4 from just 61.8 km away, reveals Hubble’s cylindrical body, solar arrays, and open aperture door in remarkable detail.
Vantor, formerly Maxar Intelligence, operates six WorldView Legion satellites capable of resolving features as small as 30 cm from orbit, with Legion 4 launched in August 2024 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9.
Hubble, launched in 1990 and repaired in 1993, continues to deliver groundbreaking science despite signs of aging, with NASA optimistic about its operation through 2035.
How will Vantor's 4cm imaging tech reshape the future of on-orbit satellite inspection?
With its powerful successor launching soon, what is Hubble's true scientific role until 2035?
Hubble faces a 'death spiral.' Can the technology that photographed it also help save it?
What prevents this high-res imaging from being used for corporate or military espionage in space?
How do we balance technological feats in space with the atmospheric pollution they create on re-entry?
Who has the right-of-way in an orbit with over a million proposed satellites?