Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement

COSTAR on exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum

The Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement (COSTAR) is the instrument designed to correct Hubble Space Telescope's spherical aberration for light focused at the FOC, FOS and GHRS instruments.^[1] Built by Ball Aerospace Corp., it replaced the High Speed Photometer (HSP) during the first Hubble Servicing Mission in 1993.^[2] Later instruments, installed after HST's initial deployment, were designed with their own corrective optics.

COSTAR was removed from HST in 2009 during the fifth servicing mission and replaced by the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph. It is now on exhibit in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.^[3]

• 

  COSTAR being inserted into Hubble during First Servicing Mission.

• 

  Astronauts work on installing Hubble's corrective optics during Servicing Mission 1.

• 

  Closeup of the working mechanism from COSTAR. The mirrors extended out from the body of COSTAR on the left.

References

1. James H. Crocker (1993). "Engineering the COSTAR". Optics & Photonics News 4 (11).
2. "CORRECTIVE OPTICS SPACE TELESCOPE AXIAL REPLACEMENT (COSTAR)". Retrieved 2015-07-18.
3. "Camera That Saved Hubble Now On Display". NPR. November 18, 2009.

External links

• The Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement (Costar)
• Pictures from the National Air and Space Museum of the COSTAR optics