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THIS DAY IN HISTORY: STS-61 Lifts Off From Cape Canaveral Carrying NASA’s First Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission

By  //  December 2, 2024

DECEMBER 2, 1993

DECEMBER 2, 1993 – On this day in 1993, STS-61 lifted off for the first NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission, traveling a total of 4.4 million miles during the course of the mission.

DECEMBER 2, 1993 – On this day in 1993, STS-61 lifted off for the first NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission, traveling a total of 4.4 million miles during the course of the mission.

The final shuttle flight of 1993 was one of the most challenging and complex crewed missions ever attempted. During a record five back-to-back space walks totaling 35 hours and 28 minutes, two teams of astronauts completed the first repair mission for the Hubble Space Telescope (HST).