The Hubble Space Telescope has provided groundbreaking insights into the universe. It orbits above Earth's atmosphere, allowing it to take clearer images of distant galaxies and planets. Some of Hubble's key accomplishments include determining the age of the universe to be 13.7 billion years, observing the formation of new stars and planets, and detecting the first organic molecule on an exoplanet. While Hubble will retire in 2014, the James Webb Space Telescope is planned to launch in 2018 to continue its revolutionary work.