Hubble ... In Safe Mode .... Again

[Hans Tucker]

Apparently the Hubble Space Telescope is encountering some issues, according to NASA. The space agency has placed the optical equipment in Safe Mode to prevent it from crashing or failing any worse than it already has.

[xelasnave]

Why cant they do a decent overhaul?
I would cause I have a really bad feeling about the James Webb being a success...and yes I know they are different etc...but if you had a decent scope would you not keep it working and give it work that it can do?
Alex

[Hans Tucker]

When NASA retired the Shuttle fleet they removed any capability to repair Hubble.

[JA]

Alex, I don't think it's a matter of not wanting to do the work on the Hubble, but more a matter of doing the work "easily", possibly even at all, without the help of the NASA Space Shuttle program, its budget, its trained/experienced astronauts, its robotic arm, etc, as it seems likely the work would need to be done in situ in space.

They could certainly enlist the support of others be they foreign or domestic agencies / companies, but I'm sure they'd feel some degree of powerlessness and/or loss of stature / prestige in going that route and then I'm sure they'd also cite budgetary issues especially in the use of a 3rd party agency

Best
JA

[Stonius]

Isn't it in a fairly high orbit? Maybe that makes it more expensive / difficult to service?


Markus

[JA]

I have no doubt it's expensive and difficult, especially without all the tools and in-house knowledge they are used to having at their disposal. Getting an external or foreign agency to assist would just ramp up the complexity enormously.

Best
JA

[AdamJL]

Likely getting an external agency would actually make it more simple. I love NASA but they are a red tape nightmare.
A company like SpaceX would be able to crew a ship there with less effort than NASA but the issue comes down to expertise as you mentioned.

[multiweb]

Nah... non sense. Bezos will slingshot captain Kirk with a spanner and a pair of suction cups.