CNN —The Hubble Space Telescope will transition to a new way of operating that aims to prevent the space observatory from experiencing lapses in its ability to observe the universe, according to NASA officials. The storied telescope, which has captured breathtaking images of the cosmos for 34 years, has traditionally operated using six gyroscopes. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope eyes the universe in May 2009 after one of the space shuttle missions to service the space observatory. Hubble is expected to operate into the mid-2030s, with its cosmic observations providing a complement to the work of the James Webb Space Telescope and future observatories that haven’t launched yet, Clampin said. “We do not see Hubble as being on its last legs,” Crouse said, “and we think it’s a very capable observatory.”

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Persons: Mark Clampin, Hubble, Clampin, Patrick Crouse, Crouse, ” Clampin, James Webb, “, ” Crouse Organizations: CNN, Hubble, NASA, Astrophysics, NASA's Hubble, Goddard Space Flight, James Webb Space Telescope Locations: Greenbelt , Maryland