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The Engineer Who Helped Put The Hubble Into Focus

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This comparison image of the core of the galaxy M100 shows the dramatic improvement in Hubble Space Telescope's view of the universe after the first Hubble Servicing Mission in December 1993. (Wikimedia Commons via NASA)
This comparison image of the core of the galaxy M100 shows the dramatic improvement in Hubble Space Telescope's view of the universe after the first Hubble Servicing Mission in December 1993. (Wikimedia Commons via NASA)

Robert Gonsalves likes to repair things. But he never expected his skills in optics would catch NASA's attention.

Twenty years ago, NASA launched the Hubble Space Telescope, but it produced fuzzy images. The space agency tapped Gonsalves to help them fix it.

From the Here & Now Contributors Network, Tim Skoog of WBUR brings us this profile of Gonsalves — emeritus professor in the department of electrical and computer engineering at Tufts University -- and his experience fixing the giant telescope.

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  • Tim Skoog, producer and technical director at WBUR's Radio Boston.

This segment aired on December 31, 2013.

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