Slashdot Mirror
Saving Hubble
tassii writes "In this article on Space.com, Hubble Space Telescope operators plan to ask Russia for help in keeping the observatory alive and will even consider accepting private donations, which have already been offered. The upgrades are already built, waiting for installation. The Wide Field Camera 3 and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph cost a combined $167 million and will provide unprecedented peeks into the formation of the cosmos, astronomers say. Maybe there is still some hope for the Hubble."
Retrofit the hubble with some rockets. And send the thing sailing out into space. I wonder what kinds of images it would get once it left our solar system. Anyone know how far the hubble can transmit currenty? Or would that also need to be upgraded if we were to send it out into space.
It would be such a shame to let the Hubble burn up in the atmosphere. I think the proposal to park it next to the ISS would be ideal. In fact why not attach it to the station. It could then be repurposed when it has become obsolete. Imagine the ISS as the nucleus of the first interplanetary craft, it's gonna need long range sensors right?
The main reason.. according to a couple of sites I read.. is if something fails on the shuttle while it as at the ISS, they can get home in the "lifeboat". If it fails while they are at Hubble, they are skrewed.
This gives me an interesting idea... Would it be possible to place a soyuez capsule in orbit right next to the hubble or even attach it to the hubble?
That being said, it brings up concerns that such a device isn't carried with the shuttle on ALL shuttle missions. The capsule itself is really quite tiny, and would be able to transport the crew back to earth in the event of shuttle problems - plus, all of the crew execpt the pilot could return via. the capsule, preventing another columbia-like disaster.
Or there's even the option of sending several dozen empy re-entry capsules into varous orbits above earth so that at least one would be able to dock with the shuttle and safely evacuate the crew no matter what orbit the shuttle happened to be in (as mentioned earlier, the ISS is impssible to get to from hubble's orbit).
-- If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done? - Uli's moose
That being said, it brings up concerns that such a device isn't carried with the shuttle on ALL shuttle missions. The capsule itself is really quite tiny, and would be able to transport the crew back to earth in the event of shuttle problems - plus, all of the crew execpt the pilot could return via. the capsule, preventing another columbia-like disaster.
Has there ever been a "space disaster" in which one of these would actually work? I know the two shuttle missions.. there wasnt time to implement it if it HAD been onboard. Challengers explosion was basically instant, and the disintegration of Columbia was fast also.. and they werent even aware they had a problem.
its _possible_ a strengthened crew compartment or something (which was discussed after Challenger) would have allowed the COlumbia nauts to make it back.. but thats theory only. Retrofitting the birds like that is impossible.. though the designs for the Delta Clipper involved something much like that.
Its NASA being paranoid that another loss of astronauts would shut them down, basically.
They are trying for every eventuality, but theres nothing they can really do about an explosion or sudden breakup. Especially at like.. mach 17.
Maeryk
Feminine Protection? What is that? A chartreuse flame thrower?