posted
It looks like every HST service mission has involved docking with the thing and towing it to higher orbit. That's probably the tricky part.
Posts: 2655 | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
Hey, I’d love it if it stayed up. All I’m saying is that they have to pick and choose. And I’d much rather them go with new and improved. NASA does cutting edge stuff and leaves the other stuff for the researchers to work out. I really truly believe this is a PR stunt to get some kind of public funding going. The “Save Hubble Fund” Look at the 10 million given for the X project. But you gotta have the press to get the funding and I bet this is their way to start the ball moving. Think of it, you could privatize Hubble and get the funding from those who want to have scope time.
Posts: 2845 | Registered: Oct 2003
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quote: Lawmakers and scientists agree that Hubble has been a tremendous tool for space research since it came into service in 1990, but they recognize that its expenses are a problem as Washington Washington faces a huge budget deficit.
With repair costs possibly reaching two billion dollars, Congress will have to mull Hubble's future as it tackles the 2006 budget.
According to US media, the Bush administration has decided to eliminate funding for a mission to fix Hubble and extend its life until 2010, when the infra-red James Webb Space Telescope is to take its place.
So I wouldn't say the rescue missions were scrapped just for safety reasons.
Posts: 2756 | Registered: Jul 2002
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quote:Another way to look at it is spending money to get the most out of the billions already invested in Hubble, instead of using it like a disposable camera.
posted
From what I can tell,the reasons for scrapping the repair missions were safety concerns, followed by cost. It may be it's too expensive to maintain--I'm just saying it would still be a valuable asset to astronomers even after JWST goes up.
Posts: 327 | Registered: Oct 2003
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"Think of it, you could privatize Hubble and get the funding from those who want to have scope time."
Well, that's a bit of a shell game, given that most people who want scope time are paid with tax money. Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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posted
It's my impression that the equipment that is needed to fix the hubble has already been built and paid for. Does the two billion dollar price tag referred to above include money already spent, or is that an additional 2 billion dollars? Also what percentage of NASA's budget is that?
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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