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Hubble's 15th Birthday

Posted by Hemos on from the happy-birthday-now-die dept.

BlakeCaldwell writes "Wired is reporting the 15th birthday of the Hubble telescope. FTA: "Fifteen years ago Monday, at 12:38 p.m. Pacific Time, astronaut Steven Hawley directed the space shuttle's robotic arm to release the Hubble Space Telescope 381 miles above the Earth, launching an era of unprecedented scientific discoveries. Since that day in 1990, the bus-sized telescope has taken more than 700,000 photos of planets, stars and other celestial bodies.""

8 comments

  1. Happy birthaday by janek78 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well, I suppose "Happy birtday" is in place. Kind of like wishing all the best for the future to your 90 years old dying grandma, considered Hubble's impeding doom. :(

    1. Re:Happy birthaday by George+Tirebuyer · · Score: 2, Funny

      Perhaps we should put a rather heavy tax on copyright renewals and use the funds to keep Hubble going. Call it a Mickey Mouse Tax.

    2. Re:Happy birthaday by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

      Kind of like wishing all the best for the future to your 90 years old dying grandma, considered Hubble's impeding doom.

      I suspect Grandma has a few years left in her yet. I mean, if you're sending a robotic mission all the way up to Hubble and you have to dock with Hubble to deorbit her, well, and it's just some gyroscopes that need replacement and they were designed to be replaced by hamfisted astronauts in spacesuits... well, NASA is full of rocket scientists.

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
  2. What ROI by perdu · · Score: 3
    It's hard to think of any other scientific program that has provided so much valuable research insight -- and at the same time such a huge public awareness and appreciation. All this after getting off to such an infamous start!

    Long Live Hubble!

    --
    You only use 2% of your DNA
  3. Re:Happy birthday by janek78 · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Damn. I'm sorry for the typos. I wasn't going for a FP, it's that I am just going home from work, already half dressed, with my finger on the switch-off button (or the Start button, anyway:)

  4. Poor, poor hubble ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    no wonder it's becoming dysfunctional, after all it's been raised by a group of uncaring, selfish, incompetent and abusive bureaucrats. NASA, without a doubt, you totally suck.

    We should have a real space station, moonbase and be going to Mars. Instead, thousands of upper and middle class white guys drive bigger cars. Sigh.

    1. Re:Poor, poor hubble ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Jealous because you're not upper or middle class?

  5. Which mean in a few days by g-san · · Score: 2

    A whole room full of NASA Engineers went, "Oh shit."