Hubble repair mission for shuttle?

[wavelandscott]

Will they or won't they?

I'd like to see them do a shuttle mission to update Hubble...sounds like the idea is gaining momentum and I thought I read somewhere that a press conference had been called for some kind of announcement.

I hope they decide to fix the old gal up!

[matt]

A brief news item this morning:

NASA is planning a mission to extend the life of the Hubble Space Telescope.

A Space Shuttle crew will do an overhaul in 2008... boosting its performance by 70 times.

Hubble has been in orbit since 1990

Encouraging:)

[iceman]

Sounds like a plan.. I can't wait for the "new breed" though, the James Webb space telescope, isn't it?

It will be so much more powerful and have so much more resolving power than hubble.

[wavelandscott]

Saw the anouncement in the paper...Hurray!!!

I'm glad they are going to fix the ol gal up...sorry that it will have to wait until May 2008...

[ving]

i heard they were going to fix it and it would be good for another 5years. :)

[rogerg]

Interesting turn in events. Perhaps they saw my picture of the Hubble Deep Field South and thought "hey guy's... these amateurs are catching up to us, we have to do something about that... that's it, we need an urgent repair mission!" :rofl:

Roger.

[xelasnave]

Roger maybe they should give your scope a rebuild in the mean time so you can cover their er back;) :lol: I did not get to compliment you on that work but I will now great stuff:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
There were plans and eventualy Hubbles fate was to re enter and plunge into the Pacific Ocean I recon that would be a crime:mad2: ... they should bring it back and place it in the Smithsonian along side other great things man has built..It is one of the most important pieces of history that humanity has the chance to recover. However no one seems to care enough I could not get support for the idea. But now there will be more years to muster public opinion ..will anyone sign my petition to Congress?:lol: :lol: :lol:
alex

[rogerg]

I imagine Hubble is a tricky issue for NASA. They probably never counted on people getting so attached to it and hence having to fork out the money to bring it back or keep it going so long. I imagine that financially it'd be insain to bring it back just because of the cost with no return on that. Of course it's captured the public so we wall want it preserved, but who wants to pay to keep it preserved or bring it back? ... I bet there was a point at which NASA had/has in the back of their mind "gez, it's becoming a pain, wish it would just self destruct and solve all our problems, let us allocate that money elsewhere...".

Roger.

[johnno]

Hi All,

It is good to see they are going to refurbish Hubble,Like many others,I too have become very fond of it,and the fantastic pictures it sends back.

Regards.
John

[xelasnave]

Have they not heard of a "back load"? truckies do it all the time.
No care would have to be taken throw it in the cargo bay of the shuttle damage at that point in its life is irrelevant.
Its like historic buildings their economic value tells developers they are beter gone and replace them with a block of flats, so engineers and scientists see Hubble as having served its purpose and its value in those areas becomes nil however consider how future generations will view our lack of regard for protection of their history. AND as to the money turn the enterprise over to a smart entreprenuer who will no doubt return the cost and a profit from the ticket sales. Mmmm maybe it could be tethered near on of Mr B's space hotels and tourists could pay for space walks to touch it?
People will say that such talk now is crackpot but in a century it will be seen as visionary.
Save the whales, save the planet and save the Hubble.
alex

[wavelandscott]

Not sure but I don't think the tyres (tires) on the shuttle can handle the extra weight on landing...not sure about the landing gear, runway etc.

[ving]

well if they are looking for a place to retire it to, my back yard is there ;)

just have to get a mount for it. i dont think a heq5 will hold it somehow :P