Launch from Cape Canaveral (KSC); landing on Cape Canaveral (KSC). The mission was originally scheduled for launch from Pad 39-A, and the shuttle was rolled out and placed on that pad, but due to contamination, a "rollaround" to Pad 39-B was made.

It was the first Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was successfully captured with the Remote Manipulator Arm on Flight Day 3.

First EVA by Hoffman and Musgrave on 05.12.1993 (7h 54m) to replace two sets of Remote Sensing Units (RSU) and a pair of electrical control units. The astronauts also changed out eight fuse plugs that protect the telescope's electrical circuits. After that the HST had a full set of six healthy gyroscopes.

Second EVA by Thornton and Akers on 06.12.1993 (6h 36m), in which two damaged solar arrays were replaced. A damaged arrays was thrown overboard, the other one was stowed away for a return to ESA.

Third EVA by Hoffman and Musgrave on 07.12.1993 (6h 47m). This time the astronauts replaced two magnometers and the Wide Field Planetary Camera (WFPC). The new camera had a higher rating than the previous model, especially in the ultraviolet range, and included its own sperical aberration correction system. Following the WFPC installation, Hoffman changed out two magnetometers on board HST. The magnetometers, which are located at the top of the telescope, are the satellite's "compass". They enable HST to find its orientation with respect to the Earth's magnetic field. Both original units were suffering from problems of background noise.

Fourth EVA again by Thornton and Akers on 08.12.1993 (6h 50m). The primary task of this EVA was to replace the High Speed Photometer (HSP) with a device called COSTAR (Corrective Optics Space telescope Axial Replacement), which corrects the problem with the main mirror.

Fifth and final EVA by Hoffman and Musgrave on 09.12.1993 (7h 21m). They replaced one of two Solar Array Drive Electronics (SADE), a very difficult work, because it was primary not planned to exchange the SADE. During this EVA the solar arrays were deployed after a few problems. They also fitted an electrical connection box on the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS) and installed some covers on the magnometers, fabricated onboard by Nicollier and Bowersox.

After this spectacular and very difficult work, the HST was again released.