Farewell To Eyes Above And Below

LMCBoy writes "SpaceRef is reporting that the STIS Instrument on board HST has failed. The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph was HST's only spectrometer, and was responsible for several important discoveries, including the first detection of an exoplanet's atmosphere. The loss is believed to have been caused by a failure in the instrument's main electronics box, which led to a rapid increase in the input current of about 1 ampere, which caused the instrument to enter a "suspend" state. It is believed that this failure is not recoverable." No_Weak_Heart writes "Perhaps the world's most renowned submersible, Alvin of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, is slated for retirement. Alvin has helped scientists explore deep sea, find a lost Hydrogen bomb(oops!) and discover more than 300 new animal species, will be replaced by a newer version in 2008. Also available this audio clip from NPR." (Here's a glance at Alvin's replacement.) Update: 08/07 17:29 GMT by T : Note: "HST"="Hubble Space Telescope." Thanks to Chris Johansen for pointing out the overloaded acryonym.

Comments

Re:It's time to let the Hubble go

[nwbvt]

I believe you completely missed the point. I, nor anyone else here, am advocating a complete halt to science and technology. What I am advocating is not giving agencies blank checks of taxpayer money to continue funding research programs that have already gone past their expected lifespan, especially when there are better alternatives worthy of funding even in the same field.

And don't give me any crap about this being about 'science'. To think that is either naive or disingenuous. Imagine if a similar situation happened in another field. What if a biologist's request to expand research on the genome of a field mouse was denied so funds could instead focus on working on another animal? Clearly this research is just as important, if not more important, than staring at celestial bodies millions of light years away. Would there be mass protests? Would millions of citizens write angry letters to their congressmen demanding them to add more funding to this program? Would ACs rush to /. to write angry posts denouncing anyone suggesting that this may be the correct path? I think not.

We all know what is really fueling the "Save the Hubble" movement. Its an emotional connection to something that gives us pretty pictures of something we have long associated with superstition and religion. Support saving the Hubble all you want, just be honest enough to admit you are not doing it in the name of science.