Re: Hubble is ancient history

From: Gregory L. Hansen (glhansen_at_steel.ucs.indiana.edu)
Date: 10/19/04 

Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 13:40:52 +0000 (UTC)

In article <3z4dd.19404$vZ5.8734@tornado.tampabay.rr.com>,
Matt Giwer <jull43@tampabay.rr.RoMeVE.com> wrote:
>Victor wrote:
>> Pierre wrote:
>
>>> Don't forget Bush wants the end of Hubble and want s to deicde what's
>>> good in science...
>
>> Actually it is NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe who decided that fixing
>> Hubble is not worth an astronaut's life or losing another shuttle. A
>> board of investigation was set up to determine the risks involved. I
>> personally think the risk is not that high and that a human service
>> mission should go ahead as planned.
>
> Hubble is a sentimental thing.
>
> At least once a year for the last five years I have read of a new
>telescope coming on line that advertises having a better resolution
>than Hubble.
>
> I thought the reason was scientific investigation not sentimentality.
>We are getting better resolution than Hubble. We do not have launchers
>which can put a large enough mirror in orbit to compete with the earth
>telescopes.
>
> Is there a rational reason for saving Hubble? In fact, is there a
>rational reason for continuing work on its replacement in orbit? Can
>the same dollars produce even better earth based telescopes?
>
> Resources are finite and NASA has them for space telescopes. THe
>money does not transfer to earth telescopes so it is not a tradeoff.

Infrared, ultraviolet, and x-rays don't get through the Earth's atmosphere
very well. (Why do you think visible light is visible?) 

-- 
"When the fool walks through the street, in his lack of understanding he 
calls everything foolish." -- Ecclesiastes 10:3, New American Bible

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Hubble is ancient history
    ... >>We are getting better resolution than Hubble. ... >>which can put a large enough mirror in orbit to compete with the earth ... >>money does not transfer to earth telescopes so it is not a tradeoff. ... Its replacement will be in orbit before it wears out ...
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