BALTIMORE, Maryland (AP) -- The main camera on the Hubble Space Telescope, which has revolutionized astronomy with its stunning pictures of the universe, has stopped working, engineers said Saturday....
Fantastic news indeed.
Reading this promted me to post the following (originally posted elsewhere).
" I have been watching a DVD on the Hubble Space Telescope, an example of humanities wonderfulness for so many reasons... The show said that a robot would attach a rocket system to finally guide the unit to "its final resting place in the Pacific Ocean".
I am not one for collecting stuff for no reason but is this not something that, hang the expense, it must be returned to Earth for display in its own sacred home. This is something so important in human history I can’t believe that no one else could not feel similar to me. To dump it in the ocean seems so irreverent. Think of the money to save the leaning tower of Pizza, and all the money to restore so many of mans creations. Is this part of humanities endeavors not worth saving.. AND planned efficiently the mission is only what truckies call "a back load".
Yet we are going to dump it in the ocean... If nothing else send it out to a wider and further orbit switch it off and wait for a future generation to return it..AND don’t think they will not do such... and I ask you think about the money here.. not what it may cost for this mission but all the money that is spent on restoration and reclamation of objects sacred to our past, by the time you think of the cost of returning the Hubble it will seem a cheap exercise.
Maybe the general public should have this presented to them so they can get over lose of life they associate with an irrelevant exercise.Any politician must see the merit in pushing such a noble cause and importantly the money he cant redirect for his people.. To me this would be the most important space mission in history for this is history that we need to look after. The fact that it (The Hubble Space Telescope) passes its use by date does not mean its useless.. to have it here on Earth would inspire other humans. mainly the kids to come,
If we dump it in the Ocean I say level the pyramids, let the tower of Pizza fall and close every museum on the planet because we are not really serious about humanity.
alex
