BBC NEWS: "Without doubt the Hubble Space Telescope is one of the most important telescopes ever built. Its clear view of the cosmos, above the turbulent and distorting atmosphere, has changed our understanding of the Universe in which we live.

Hubble has been a spectacular success
Its science is remarkable, its images iconic and it had much more to give. So why is it being abandoned?
Few were expecting such an announcement about the demise of Hubble.
Just a few weeks ago Steven Beckwith, the director of Hubble's home institution, the Space Telescope Science Institute in Maryland, told BBC News Online that he was looking forward to the next servicing mission and the upgrade Hubble would receive. "