? HUBBLE...toast or fixed

[bushuser]

This question is especially for our insiders. We've heard nothing for months about the fate of the HST, and will have to deal with major equipment failures in 2-3 years. The Webb Telescope has been significantly delayed. Apparently the robot repair concept is abandoned. Is a team working on a possible shuttle repair mission? Is a team working to design a robot deorbit module? Which type of thinking will prevail with Mr. Griffin?

 

[CalliArcale]

Last I head (and I'm not an insider) was that Griffin favored one more manned mission to the Hubble. However, ISS has priority and of course nothing can be decided until after the next Shuttle flight is completed successfully, removing the extra flight restrictions so it can do a non-ISS mission. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[qso1]

Not an insider as well but Hubble may have major equipment failures within 3 years...then again, if were lucky, maybe not.<br /><br />The links below may provide some useful info.<br />http://www.astro.washington.edu/balick/hubble_repair.html<br /><br />http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0512/05hubbleservicing/<br />This link is only a few months old. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[j05h]

Everybody involved would probably like another service mission. If that proves impossible, I think a new instrument using the Hubble upgrades already built would be in order. Use the instruments in a new "Hubble2" bus and launch on Delta IV. Then keeping improving the concept, we should never be without such a type of telescope again. I'm sure there are engineering lessons from Hubble that could be incorporated into the new craft that would vastly improve it.<br /><br />josh <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div align="center"><em>We need a first generation of pioneers.</em><br /></div> </div>

 

[rvastro]

From talking to a few people a HST servicing flight has been added for around early 2008 or so.

 

[erioladastra]

It is slated in spring 2008 but there is a push to get in Dec 2007. After Dec the risk of losing HST goes up as does the cost significantly. If the next flight or two goes ok then it will be a go.

 

[revolutionary]

If the ISS is a bigger priority than HST then NASA definitely doesn't have its priorities right.