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NASA Debates How And When To Kill Hubble Telescope

Amy's Robot writes "The Washington Post reports that after 13 years of wear and tear, the Hubble telescope may be on the way out. NASA and some outside scientists have become involved in a heated debate about how and when to end the Hubble telescope program. Keeping Hubble in service until 2020 would require an extra maintenance visit by astronauts at a cost of at least $600 million. Some even worry the batteries could fail by 2010, since the next maintenance visit has been delayed by the Columbia accident and space station priorities. Is it worth maintaining our old friend Hubble, or should NASA let him go out in a blaze of glory?"

20 of 555 comments (clear)

  1. I already know.. by grub · · Score: 5, Funny


    "How And When To Kill Hubble"

    Professor Plum will use the candlestick in the library next Tuesday.

    --
    Trolling is a art,
    1. Re:I already know.. by McAddress · · Score: 5, Funny

      i would propose using kill -9.

    2. Re:I already know.. by kill+-9+$$ · · Score: 5, Funny

      well fine, somebody give me directions to the library and where I can get said candlestick and I'll take care of it...

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      -- A computer without COBOL and Fortran is like a piece of chocolate cake without ketchup and mustard
    3. Re:I already know.. by Breakfast+Pants · · Score: 2, Funny

      I resent your sig.

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      --

      WHO ATE MY BREAKFAST PANTS?
  2. Re:Hubble Slide Show by MindStalker · · Score: 3, Funny

    Great slide show, but can someone please slow it down, I'm about to hurl.

  3. We already know how it will end... [humor] by RomSteady · · Score: 4, Funny

    Anyone who has seen Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie knows how this will end...

    "Mike killed the Hubble! Mike killed the Hubble!"

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    RomSteady - I came, I saw, I tested. GamerTag: RomSteady / http://www.romsteady.net
    1. Re:We already know how it will end... [humor] by LocutusMIT · · Score: 2, Funny

      Good night, sweet Hubble. And a flight of angels sing thee to thy rest.

  4. EBay? by phrostie · · Score: 2, Funny

    rather than putting it into the Atmosphere, why not put it up on Ebay.

    one deep space telescope. has seen where no man has seen before.
    used, with millions of miles. as is, where is.

    been refurbed a few times but will let go to
    good new home. procedes will go to new programs.

    1. Re:EBay? by bencc99 · · Score: 2, Funny

      buyer collects?

  5. Easy Solutions(TM) by teamhasnoi! by teamhasnoi · · Score: 3, Funny
    Give it a porn mag, it will go blind in no time.

    Crash it into the moon - we can then finally see if that flag is up there.

    Send some elementary school kids up there. If they don't destroy it by doing the monkey bars on its delicate superstructure, they'll hasten its suicide by circling it and chanting, "One Eye, Got One Eye, One Eye, Got One Eye!"

    Ask it what time it is, then when it looks at its wrist, hit it with a hammer.

    Rename it Old Yeller. Dad'll put it down, while you weep into your dusty wool shirt.

    Just put a Democrat on it! It will be sure to 'mysteriously' crash, probably in a wooded area full of hippies.

  6. Re:Two birds, One stone by AnonymousNoMore · · Score: 2, Funny

    I like the idea of launching Lance Bass into space.

  7. Re:Must die? by calethix · · Score: 2, Funny

    I guess they don't know how the equation works.
    x = cost of property damage when Hubble crashes + lawsuits from surviving relatives
    y = cost of 'recalling' Hubble
    If x is less than y, we don't do it.

  8. Mod parent down, please. by HyperLemur · · Score: 2, Funny

    This guy is talking through his hat. If anything would cause Chinese immigrant laborers to organize and demand overtime, it would be continuous bombardment with deadly high-energy cosmic rays. Just wouldn't be cost-effective.

  9. I've got it... by bkc98 · · Score: 4, Funny

    If we learned anything from the movie 'Independence Day', we know that any spacecraft can be brought down by a virus. So NASA should just fire up the 'ol Powerbook and upload a virus to bring down Hubble. Problem solved.

  10. Re:For the time being. by BoomerSooner · · Score: 2, Funny

    Radio galaxies rule! Just as long as the RIAA doesn't hear they are operating without a license.

  11. Re:This may be... by Danse · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Sorry Bob, but we're still a little too heavy for reentry. You're gonna have to get out and wait for the next shuttle...

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    It's not enough to bash in heads, you've got to bash in minds. - Captain Hammer
  12. Re:Here's an idea... by AnswerIs42 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Here is a better idea.

  13. Re:Must die? by fenix+down · · Score: 2, Funny

    Indeed! Imagine what detail we'd get moving the lens 0.00000000000000000000000000001% closer to that nebula! And for just $100 billion worth of fuel, booster technology, spacewalks and supply launches! You'd have to be a fool not to jump at that chance!

  14. Sell it to the DOD by automatic_jack · · Score: 2, Funny

    Maybe they need another spy satellite.

    Or, they could use it as an offensive weapon. Focus the rays of the sun and fry cities!

    Or perhaps they could use it for some kind of solar collector/intesifier to provide power?

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    -- Have you ever noticed that at trade shows, Microsoft is always the company that is handing out stress balls?

  15. Topless Beaches by Ranger · · Score: 3, Funny

    I think they should rent time to male college students to look into female student dorm windows or to look down on nude or topless beaches. Imagine the resolution? They'd certainly raise enough cash to keep Hubble going for at least another decade. They could use paypal. Instead of calling it Hubble Space Telescope they could call it the Hubba Hubba Nudiescope!

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