‘The Hubble is hardly a piece of space junk.’
It’s more than 20 years old. Technology left it behind about 15 years ago. When trying to service it, it was a deathtrap.
We can now get equally as good pictures from Mt Palomar overlooking San Diago as with Hubble, using the upgraded equipment they have there. Mona Kea does better.
Time to launch the next generation of telescopes and let that worn out junk burn up. It has served its purpose. Dump it on the scrap heap and upgrade.
No, they don’t. There are no surface telescopes that replace or duplicate the Hubble.
If the Hubble is a deathtrap, how many have died?
http://www.aura-astronomy.org/nv/hst_vs_ao_2.pdf