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arXiv · 2609.00265

The Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope: A Historical and Personal Retrospective

William P. Blair
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Abstract

This manuscript documents the inception and development of the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT) project, which was a component of the Astro Observatory payload that flew on two Spacelab shuttle missions in the 1990s. The discussion places the HUT project in the context of the times and highlights the importance of its acceptance by NASA in 1980 to the growth and development of astrophysics at the Johns Hopkins University. Personal recollections from the author, including a detailed description of the real time flight operations during each mission, provides an insiders view. The document includes a link to an online historical archive of supporting materials compiled in support of this effort.

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William P. Blair. 2026-08-31. The Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope: A Historical and Personal Retrospective. https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.00265

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