National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
The test telescope was used for a variety of tests, such as handling equipment and procedures checkout. It was also subjected to the same noise and vibration (structural dynamics) that the flight telescope would experience during launch, as well as the extreme temperatures to be encountered in space. Technicians used it as a testbed to lay out wiring harnesses and evaluate features that would enable the telescope to be repaired in orbit.
Credit: National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
