NASA’s $1 5B ‘Blind’ Telescope #space

Added: 2026-06-02

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, costing $1.5 billion, suffered from spherical aberration due to a 2.2-micron error in its primary mirror's shape—smaller than a dust particle but large enough to cause blurry images. Engineers diagnosed the problem and designed corrective optics, which were installed during a 1993 spacewalk, transforming the telescope from a failure into an iconic scientific instrument. This case illustrates that in precision engineering, tiny tolerances can have massive consequences, but brilliant solutions can turn failures into successes.