How does NASA prevent random space dust and debris from damaging the lens of the orbiting Hubble telescope?

Question

How does NASA prevent random space dust and debris from damaging the lens of the orbiting Hubble telescope?

Answer 1

There really isn't a whole lot of dust and space debris in space.  Well, not in the general orbiting area of hubble anyways.  NASA has only been to Hubble for repairs and maintenance 4 times in it's 18 year history.  

Answer 2

Easy, It does not have lenses, it uses mirrors. There is not that much random space dust it the region of its orbit (much higher than the ISS) but it can be repositioned during known metor activity and the like to avoid damage as much as possible.

Space is a lot less crowded than you think.

Answer 3

"Space," is an aptly named region of...  well, space.

The reason why it's called space, is because of the great vast distances between things.  

The amount of space debris is incredibly small, and the probabilities of random debris striking something as small as the HST are even smaller.  

Still, the probability is greater than zero, and even a miniscule object, if on the correct trajectory and right speed, could cause some damage to the optics of the HST.  I haven't crunched the odds, but I'm sure winning the lottery the same day you get struck by lightning twice in the same week is a comparable scenario.

Answer 4

HAHAHAHAHA! The Hubble Space Telescope doesn't have a lens! It's a reflector not a refractor! It uses mirrors, you moron!

Answer 5

Good question ya:)Infact i too have the same doubt! The people who answered before me,really gave a fantastic clarification!

Answer 6

Also, the mirror is often protected by a sun/debris shield when not used.

In space terms, the opening of the telescope is a very small hole, so by avoiding some attitudes for a long time, you can reduce the risk of damage. For example, you don't want to look in the direction of travel - the velocities of debris from this direction are higher and more concentrated. Also, you don't want to look upwards at some places around the equator, as debris from apogee kick motors could come from that direction.