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Experts Recommend Keeping Hubble Operational

Posted by simoniker on from the hubble-trouble-kerfuffle dept.

foolishtook writes " The New York Times is reporting that a panel of experts is recommending NASA to keep the Hubble Space Telescope operating past 2010 when its replacement, the James Webb Space Telescope, is currently slated for launch. NASA had stated that it wanted to bring the Hubble down in 2006 to make room in its budget for the Webb, but astronomers said that it still has a viable future and the launch date for the Webb is likely to be delayed."

3 of 217 comments (clear)

  1. Sell it by upplepop · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Perhaps they should consider selling it to another party. I'm sure there are some companies or non-profit organizations who would be interested and have the resources to take it over.

  2. Re:Paralax by josquin00 · · Score: 5, Interesting
    From Aviation Week:

    Eight years from now, an Ariane 5 is expected to boost the 5,400-kg. (11,880-lb.) observatory toward the second Lagrangian point (L2), 1.5 million km. (930,000 mi.) beyond Earth's orbit

    That's a pretty good distance from the Hubble.

  3. how it works by Connie_Lingus · · Score: 5, Interesting

    NASA had stated that it wanted to bring the Hubble down in 2006 to make room in its budget for the Webb

    Don't these scientist realize that in a government bureaucracy, the only way to get additional funding is to make sure the current system is 1)totally broke or 2)not in place?

    If NASA keeps the Hubble operational, then it will be a *much* harder sell on Capitol Hill then if no telescope exists! Even those this seems very non-intuitive, this is the way much of government works. These NASA guys aren't that dumb...they just know how the system works

    --
    never bring a twinkie to a food fight.