May 13, 2009-- At 350 miles up, the Hubble Space Telescopes orbits the Earth higher than the International Space Station which at around a paltry 250 miles. I spoke with former Astronaut Loren Shriver, who commanded Shuttle Discovery to deliver Hubble to orbit 19 years ago. He says that altitude includes a wider and more spectacular view of Earth's horizon compared to other Shuttle missions.

For Astronaut John Grunsfeld aboard Atlantis, it's the view up-close that counts. On his previous two Hubble flights, he says he was struck by the shiny surface of the observatory and how it reflects the spacewalkers and the Earth rotating by. "It's a work of art," he told me.