How has the hubble space telescope affected NASA scientists, astronauts, the world and people in public?
Initially it humbled the scientists working for NASA who were too confident to check the telescope for flaws in the optics before launching. You remember the famous Hubble first repair job? It was to install corrective optics because the mirror was polished incorrectly. The repair job also gave astronauts hands-on experience doing very complicated repairs out in the hostile environment of space. The data obtained by Hubble since then has been revolutionary in some cases. The ability to analyze star light from much further away has allowed scientists a much better idea of the size and shape of the universe, including the shocking discovery that our universe is expanding faster and faster. As for the general public, many of the images returned from Hubble have become iconic and almost immediately recognizable even among those who don’t follow astronomy.
