After 20 years of development, problems with funding, lawsuits, and an arduous 25-mile journey to cart its key parts uphill, the $102 million Large Binocular Telescope is finally complete. The telescope, an internationally-run observatory that points skyward from a mountaintop in southern Arizona, has already captured some beautiful images, including the spiral galaxy pictured to the left, which is 102 million light years away from Earth.

For a gallery of Hubble's most incredible images, click "View Photos" at left

The terrific thing about NASA chief Michael Griffin's decision to launch a Hubble servicing mission–the telescope's fifth since 1990–isn't simply that the spacecraft will be able to limp along for another four years. After astronauts visit Hubble on this latest mission (set to launch no earlier than May 2008), the telescope will be more powerful than it has ever been, thanks to some incredible new instruments being tested now.