Re: How do we keep Hubble up there?

From: Tim Killian (TJK_at_notmyrealemail.com)
Date: 01/22/05 

Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2005 09:34:34 -0700

Despite all the nostalgia around these parts, IMO Hubble is an antique
that needs to be retired. Recent estimates put the cost for a robotic
servicing mission at over $2 billion dollars, and a manned mission (at
_only_ $1 billion or so!) is impractical because there just isn't enough
time to prepare before the shuttles are decommissioned in 2010.

I say take the money that NASA would use for Hubble servicing and
instead design and launch modern hardware to replace its functions.
Hubble will still be useful for several more years -- then R.I.P.

Impact9 wrote:

> Since our taxes are funding NASA I think we should have the right to
> decide if Hubble is going to be brought down or not. To me Hubble has
> been the greatest single invention in the last 20 years. Ever time I
> have seen a image or heard of a discovery from HST it fueled my desire
> for knowledge. It's the single most powerful "Shock and Awe" instrument
> our government has that -don't- kill people. The governments of the
> world need to work together to build a better space telescope or HST
> needs to be kept running. HST has made history time and time again and
> there is still a infinite amount of space to uncover.
>
> If they plan on crying over money they need to cancel missions to
> planets and moons we can't possible reach with in the next 100 years.
> Right now I consider Cassini Huygens mission a massive waste of money
> when HST is dying. What else is on the mission platter that is
> unnecessary? Focus one need to be Earth conditions, second HST, third
> everything else.
>
> If HST is ever found unrepairable the least they could do is move it to
> a stable orbit till we have the capability to recover it for the space
> museum.
>
> So the question is what can we do to keep HST running till a new space
> telescope is in place?
>
> Thoughts?
>

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