The Hubble Space Telescope, which has delivered the most stunning and inspiring images of the cosmos for over a decade, will now to refitted to extended its lifetime into the next decade.

Originaly NASA said that it would not be able to end a repair team to Hubble to repiar its ailing technology. The Columbia disaster in 2003 meant stringent new safety rules and flying out to Hubble became too risky in NASA’s view. However with the return of the shuttle to orbit more than once this year, NASA has made a turn around and stated today that they will be sending a new servicing mission to the ageing telescope in 2008 to update its camera, add a new instrument and ensure its operation to 2013.

This is great news for everyone, all over the world. Hubble has provided unprecedented science and spurred the imagination of an entire generation. This also means that Hubble will be able to last long enough and bridge the gap before a new generation of next generation space observatories take the baton in the latter part of the next decade.

Here’s to seven more years of amazing Hubble imagery and leading edge scientific discovery.