QUESTION:
How long did it take to build the Hubble Space Telescope?

ANSWER from Jack Leibee, HST Operations Manager on Wed, 20 Mar 1996:
The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) began being built in the early 1980s (around
1981-82). It is comprised of thousands of components (similar to an automobile
which also has thousands of parts, such as a steering wheel, transmission,
brakes, windshield) and like the automobile, there were many companies
supplying these parts.  The spacecraft was put together in Sunnyvale, California by
Lockheed Missiles and Space Company.  The various parts were sent there and
the spacecraft assembled in a huge room (HST is over 40 feet tall!) Final assembly
was completed in early 1989.  (The Space Shuttle Challenger accident slowed
down the building of HST since NASA didn't know when the shuttle would be ready
again to launch HST.)