... 6.06.1997 . ... Credit: STS-37 Crew , NASA Explanation: Even great observatories need a boost from time to time -- including the orbiting Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory . Sparkling reflections and the bright limb of the Earth are visible in this 1991 window view of Compton's release into orbit by the crew of the Space Shuttle Atlantis. ... This reboost (Compton's second in 6 years) should allow it to continue its voyage of exploration of the distant high-energy Universe until about 2007. ...