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Hubble Getting an Upgrade

Posted by timothy on from the all-new-appliances dept.

instinctdesign writes: "The New York Times (free registration of course) is running a story on the planned upgrades to the one of NASA's greatest successes, the Hubble Space Telescope. Here is a quote from the article about the plans: 'Tasks include adding a new primary camera, replacing the telescope's electricity-generating solar arrays, replacing the main power switching controller, replacing a critical pointing device and installing an experimental cooling system in hopes of reviving a dormant instrument.'"

31 comments

  1. Can't they use Hubble ... by Evil+Attraction · · Score: 2, Funny

    ... to find Osama Bin Laden? I mean - it can't be much of a job pointing Hubble towards the earth instead of the faint stars? It would have been great to see some of the boring pictures of stars light years away been swapped with Bin Laden taking a shower.

    --
    Evil Attraction

    1. Re:Can't they use Hubble ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He takes showers? Are you sure?

      I wouldn't want that sight, him and his little manhood.

    2. Re:Can't they use Hubble ... by Evil+Attraction · · Score: 0, Troll

      I didn't say he takes showers, I just wanted to point out that having a picture of Bin Laden taking a shower is much more unusual than finding signs of extraterrestrial life in outer space.

      :-)

      --
      Evil Attraction

    3. Re:Can't they use Hubble ... by CheshireCatCO · · Score: 3, Informative

      While I'm pretty sure that was a joke, I feel obligated to point out (since there is often confusion on this point) that HST cannot look at the Earth's surface. First of all, it isn't designed to handle looking through an atmosphere. Secondly, and more importantly, the brightness of the Earth would send it into safe mode instantly. As it is, HST can't look at the Sun or Moon, and Earth is much more reflective than the Moon.

    4. Re:Can't they use Hubble ... by Cy+Guy · · Score: 1

      the brightness of the Earth would send it into safe mode instantly. As it is, HST can't look at the Sun or Moon, and Earth is much more reflective than the Moon.

      True, but they could point it at the darkside of the planet, and if the President is any kind of authority, then we know for a fact that Osama is on the darkside.

      --
      Work for Change & GET PAID!
  2. Some thoughts by The+Mayor · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This is good news. Yes, Hubble is indeed one of NASA's greatest successes. Remember when it was first launched, though? Everyone was talking about what a lemon it was. What a turnaround.

    By the way, isn't NASA supposed to launch a successor to the Hubble in 2006? Is that still in the plans? The Hubble is wonderful, but it was built in something like 1981 (after which it sat in storage for a decade, deforming the mirrors). Just think what can be done with technology from the 2000's.

    --
    --Be human.
    1. Re:Some thoughts by Sprunkys · · Score: 1

      Just think what can be done with technology from the 2000's

      Looking at what they are replacing I would say there wouldn't be much of a difference between the upgraded hubble and technology from the 2000's... I don't know a lot about this but I would say that most of the important stuff has been replaced within the last couple of years?? But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't launch anything new of course... I'm looking forward to that too

      --
      "We live in our minds, and existance is the attempt to bring that life into physical reality" Ayn Rand
  3. Eh? by Alexius · · Score: 3, Funny
    ...replacing a critical pointing device ...


    So, Is The New One An Opitcal, Or Wireless Mouse?

    --
    `Lex - Find Me Here: Text Appeal
    1. Re:Eh? by JohnPM · · Score: 1

      It's like the classic story of the US space-biro and the Russian lead pencils.

      The US decided to use an optical mouse for the pointing device on the Hubble, but the Russian designed Hubbliski which never got off the ground due to lack of funding simply used a brown stick.

      --
      Karma police, I've given all I can, it's not enough, I've given all I can, but we're still on the payroll.
  4. Wait a minute by phagstrom · · Score: 1

    Didn't Mike break that in MST3K?

  5. In 50 years by Perdo · · Score: 2

    We wil still be hearing about that same piece of flawed glass orbiting the earth taking better and better pictures with cameras that have been replace 10 times. Not that this would be a bad thing. All the Telescopes built on Kitt Peak are still in service in one form or another. The state of the art at the time .9m scope is now used by students while the new 4m scope is used by professionals. The expensive and heavy part being the glass, We will keep it in orbit and wrap new instruments around it until it gets hit by something big, like a bolt from Apollo 13.

    --

    If voting were effective, it would be illegal by now.

    1. Re:In 50 years by CheshireCatCO · · Score: 2

      Actually, no. Hubble only has 5-10 years left to it. The NGST (Next Generation Space Telescope) is already being planned to replace it. They plan to bring HST down in the shuttle for eventual installation in the Smithsonian. (At least, this is what I last heard.) I happen to know that the final instrument that will go into HST is being built right now, so it won't be long before HST gets its last upgrade.

  6. Is this article... by SpaceLifeForm · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...mirrored?

    --
    You are being MICROattacked, from various angles, in a SOFT manner.
  7. Upgrade, but in the wrong direction by Noodlenose · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    As much as I find the discoveries of Hubble and expensive toys in Space amazing, I would rather have the Bush administration put an equal amount of funds into their alternative - energy program, so in 200 years we still have a earth we can make discoveries from.

    Dirk

    1. Re:Upgrade, but in the wrong direction by PD · · Score: 2

      I would rather we screw up this planet so badly that humankind is forced to its destiny in space. There was even a Usenet group devoted to that. alt.destroy.the.earth or something.

      --
      If tits were wings it'd be flying around.
  8. The trouble with the mirror by rhdfhfdhfh · · Score: 1

    Wasn't it a paint fleck or something that caused all the trouble with the mirror?
    Apparently this caused the mirror to be cut wrong, and they had to fix the problem by reversing the error in miniature, with a set of three small mirrors.
    So even leaving it in storage couldn't have done that much to it, it was stuffed from the start.

  9. Successor to Hubble is NGST by teridon · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST) is the successor to Hubble. It is scheduled to launch in 2009.

    --
    I hold it, that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing. -- Thomas Jefferson
  10. there's more info on the hubble web-site... by espee · · Score: 1

    ...which, oh joy, also features as a customized slashbox in your preferences!
    Anyway, here's the link.

    --
    "We'll reach that bridge when we find it" - Suzy Romer, prime minister Netherlands Antilles '98-'99
  11. More taxpayers cash flushed down the lavatory by Lord+Hugh+Toppingham · · Score: 0, Troll
    What is it with NASA ? They don't seem happy unless they are flushing American citizen's money down the lavatory. The Hubble space telescope is a big waste of time. You can get just the same effects by using a large ground based array of radio telescopes.


    The Hubble has been a disaster from start to finish. They should put it out of its misery and save the American taxpayer a whole bunch of money at the same time.


    It is reported that closing down NASA would save every individual American $734 EACH YEAR!!! That is more than the entire US Military and Farm subsidies PUT TOGETHER!!!

    1. Re:More taxpayers cash flushed down the lavatory by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ROTFLMAO... I gotta ask, can you post sources for your 'info'?

    2. Re:More taxpayers cash flushed down the lavatory by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Gentlemen, this is a Troll. If you respond, you are even more foolish than the troller ( my post is merely a police action ). Ignore and they will go away.

      And maybe-just-maybe, one day, moderators will have the intellect to spot trolls and MOD THEM DOWN.

    3. Re:More taxpayers cash flushed down the lavatory by Cy+Guy · · Score: 3, Informative

      Actually the entire NASA Budget for the last two years has been just under $15B with a full $15B budgeted for FY2003.

      If you we take the US Census Bureau as an authority then the current US Population is about 286.5 Million.

      $15,000,000,000 / 286,500,000 = $52.36, or almost exactly $1/week per American.

      Plus, I find these statistics of cost per American pretty irrelevant, since the poorest 20% of Americans don't pay income tax and therefore are contributing nothing to run NASA. On the other hand, the Bush tax cuts passed last year by repealing the inheritance tax gave Bill Gates a $30B tax cut, enough to pay NASA's whole budget for two straight years!

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      Work for Change & GET PAID!
    4. Re:More taxpayers cash flushed down the lavatory by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The moderators are busy thwacking threads that criticise them personally than moderating down actual trolls.

    5. Re:More taxpayers cash flushed down the lavatory by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Especailly vexing is that this troll isn't even an American taxpayer. Why s/he is whining about how America spends its money on science is an open question.

  12. Reported does not make it true by marcus · · Score: 2, Informative

    Do the math $734 x 200,000,000 does not equal the NASA budget. Nor does the NASA budget even come close to the military or farm subsidies.

    As far as getting the same results with radio telescopes, well I guess you should take some science courses, and perhaps an elective in photography.

    --
    Good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement.
    - W. Wriston, former Citibank CEO
  13. No, it was stuffed by politics by leonbrooks · · Score: 2

    There were two mirrors made, and the company which made one of the mirrors (Company P) got to ``test'' them and decide which went to space. The mechanism they used to make their mirror, and also to check the mirrors was stuffed. Some the other mirror (made by Company K) stayed on the ground, and the buggered one flew. The rest, as they say, is history.

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    Got time? Spend some of it coding or testing
    1. Re:No, it was stuffed by politics by ChristTrekker · · Score: 1

      The stupid part is that the "stuffed" instrument wasn't the only one used to test with. Another instrument indicated that the mirror may be flawed, but it was of lesser precision than the other. They went with the results of the more precise one. Too bad it was screwed up.

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      Constitutionally Correct

    2. Re:No, it was stuffed by politics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Lets not forget the grassroots movement.
      Some congressman wanted them to use his district for the lenses, which wasn't the best lens makers.

      They should make a movie "When Grassroots fail!"

  14. Actually, they are... by mbessey · · Score: 2, Informative
    The KH-12 reconnaissance satellite is essentially just that - a Hubble Space Telescope, pointing down, instead of up. There aren't enough intelligence analysts and satellites available to keep the whole planet under surveillance 24/7, though.

    more information about spy satellites



    -Mark

  15. Re:w00t! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I now have it firmly "in me." Now what, kind sir?