The Advanced Camera for Surveys will be installed in 2001. It will yield even sharper pictures and a wider field of view. The Wide Field Camera 3 and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph will be installed in 2003. The telescope's science operations are expected to end in 2010. Md. Hubble research and funding engages a significant fraction of the worldwide professional astronomical community.
Astronomers compete annually for observing time on Hubble.
The over-subscription is typically four to one. Observing proposals are submitted to peer review committees of astronomer experts. The institute director makes the final acceptance and can use his own discretionary time for special programs. Accepted proposals must be meticulously planned and scheduled by institute experts to maximize the telescope's efficiency. The telescope is not pointed by direct remote control, but instead automatically carries out a series of preprogrammed commands over the course of a day.