14 April 2025

Anniversary Celebrations of the Astro-1 and Astro-2 UV Astronomy Missions

Nicolle Zellner Albion College

Image of Astro telescopes in orbit
Astro-2 (STS-67) UV telescopes in orbit. Image credit: NASA

This year marks the 35th and 30th anniversary of the Astro-1 and Astro-2 space shuttle astronomy missions, which included the following telescopes:

  • Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT), NASA Goddard (PI, Ted Stecher)
  • Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT), Johns Hopkins University (PI, Art Davidson)
  • Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photopolarimeter Experiment (WUPPE), the University of Wisconsin (PI, Art Code)
  • Broad-band X-ray Telescope (BBXRT, Astro-1 only), NASA Goddard (PI, Peter Serlemitsos)  

Special Astro anniversary events for those who supported the Astro missions are happening on:

  • 19-20 June in Huntsville, Alabama (including special activities for the general public)
  • 5-6 September in Baltimore, Maryland

We are also collecting stories to document the significant achievements of these telescopes and their people. The Astro Restoration Project is working to reintegrate the telescopes that flew on the Astro-1 (STS-35, Columbia) and Astro-2 (STS-67, Endeavor) shuttle missions, with a living exhibit already on display at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

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