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To: left that other site
> Only a TWO-Year Lifespan? The Humble Hubble did a LOT better than that!

I suspect it has to do with a) the lifetime of the sensors required for this particular mission, and b) budget cutting. Long life spaceflight-rated components are extremely expensive. That's just a guess, though.

5 posted on 06/19/2012 7:27:04 AM PDT by dayglored (Listen, strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government!)
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To: dayglored

Its not the components. Radiation hardened electronic last for a long time. The limiting factor is probably fuel for the thrusters. Once you’ve run out of fuel, you can’t control where the thing is pointing. Hubble lasted so long because we refueled it every time NASA refurbished it in orbit.

It wouldn’t surprise me if there is a measurable torque from sunlight that will cause the telescope to slowly start spinning. The forces are tiny, but over a long time it can just mess up your day.


7 posted on 06/19/2012 8:06:30 AM PDT by between_the_lines_mn
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