Barbara Mikulski: “this week marks the 15th anniversary of the launch of the Hubble space telescope. As we watched Hubble lift off 15 years…”

“this week marks the 15th anniversary of the launch of the Hubble space telescope. As we watched Hubble lift off 15 years ago, we had great hopes for the Hubble and great hopes for science. Guess what. We were not disappointed. Hubble ushered in a new era of astronomy and science. Hubble has exceeded all expectations. It is the greatest tool for studying the universe since Galileo himself invented the telescope. Because of the Hubble, we are now living in what astronomers call the ``golden age'' of astronomy and physics. How incredible, how spectacular. It has been America's gift to the world. It has been one of the greatest acts of public diplomacy in history. Hubble has become a symbol of America's generosity of spirit. Whatever the Hubble sees in the world, it downloads for the rest of the world to have access. Hubble even has its own Web site. It gets e-mails from people all over the world. Some of them from the children are the most touching. There are e-mails that say: Dear Mr. Hubble, did you see God today? Have you met an angel? Is there another universe? What does it look like? They actually talk to Hubble, and it has inspired their curiosity and their desire to engage in science. It is not surprising; just look at what it has accomplished. The Hubble telescope has accounted for 35 percent of all of NASA's discoveries for the past 30 years. It has seen farther and sharper than any telescope in history. It has observed more than 14,000 objects in space.…”