"I HAD WAITED A LONG TIME TO WITNESS IMAGES LIKE THIS." - STEPHEN HAWKING

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL CELEBRATES THE 25th ANNIVERSARY OF THE WORLD'S BEST-LOVED TELESCOPE IN "HUBBLE'S COSMIC JOURNEY"

One-Hour Special Premieres Monday, April 20, at 10 PM ET/PT

(Washington, DC - March 30, 2015) Since its launch in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has captured thousands of stunning images of space, revolutionized our understanding of the universe and become a global icon. To mark its 25th anniversary (#Hubble25), National Geographic Channel tells the definitive story of NASA's most successful science project ever, in Hubble's Cosmic Journey, premiering Monday, April 20, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. For more information, visit natgeotv.com or follow us on Twitter at @NGC_PR.

Narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and host of the channel's upcoming talk show StarTalk, Hubble's Cosmic Journey carries revealing interviews with the key players behind the telescope, the astronauts who fixed it and astrophysicists like Stephen Hawking.

"Hubble transformed how people around the world look at our cosmos," Tyson said. "The telescope represents a stunning combination of science, engineering and, ultimately, poetry. The images are so beautiful, graced with so much detail, that you do not even require a caption to embrace the beauty and majesty of the universe."

Following years of research and development, delayed in part by the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, the over-40-foot-long telescope was launched on April 24, 1990. Hubble had taken longer to build and launch than NASA's Apollo Moonshot missions. The triumphant moment quickly soured when NASA learned the nearly 8-foot-wide mirror inside was flawed. Initially sending back blurry images, the telescope became an embarrassment. Many believed the space agency's future rested on its ability to correct the optics. It was saved by an audacious space shuttle repair mission three years later and has gone on to capture now-iconic images of previously unseen galaxies and star-forming regions, like the famous Eagle and Horsehead nebulae, and the breathtaking Hubble Deep Field.

Hubble's Cosmic Journey tells this extraordinary story through the recollections of those who built it, launched it (including current NASA Chief Charles Bolden), repaired it and then upgraded it time and again. Today it is in better shape than ever. The telescope withstands any shaking while orbiting in space to record the sharpest pictures over the furthest distances in unprecedented detail. Able to see galaxies over 13 billion years old, it is the most famous and best-loved telescope in the world.

Hubble's Cosmic Journey is produced by Bigger Bang Productions for National Geographic Channels. For Bigger Bang Productions, executive producer is Ben Bowie, producer and director is Christopher Riley, and narrator is Neil deGrasse Tyson. For National Geographic Channels, commissioning editor and executive producer is Carolyn Payne, executive producer and vice president of development and special projects is Allan Butler, and president of original programming and production is Tim Pastore.

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About National Geographic Channel

Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channels US are a joint venture between National Geographic and Fox Networks. The Channels contribute to the National Geographic Society's commitment to exploration, conservation and education with smart, innovative programming and profits that directly support its mission. Launched in January 2001, National Geographic Channel (NGC) celebrated its fifth anniversary with the debut of NGC HD. In 2010, the wildlife and natural history cable channel Nat Geo WILD was launched, and in 2011, the Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo was unveiled. The Channels have carriage with all of the nation's major cable, telco and satellite television providers, with NGC currently available in over 86 million U.S. homes. Globally, National Geographic Channel is available in more than 432 million homes in 171 countries and 45 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com.