Doubt overshadows Hubble's 15th (Hubble telescope nearing its end?)

BBC News ^ | 04/25/05

[TigerLikesRooster]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4480813.stm

Last Updated: Monday, 25 April, 2005, 13:54 GMT 14:54 UK

 

Doubt overshadows Hubble's 15th

 

A billowing tower of cold gas and dust in the Eagle Nebula. (Image: Nasa, Esa and the Hubble Heritage Team)

The tower in the Eagle Nebula may be a giant incubator for newborn stars

	Hubble is the best mission in Nasa's fleet Steven Beckwith, STScI

Astronomers are this week celebrating the 15th year in space for the Hubble space telescope - perhaps the most successful astronomy mission ever.

But the celebrations are overshadowed by uncertainty over the future of the orbiting observatory.

Nasa's 2006 budget, announced in February, effectively killed off the telescope, but the US space agency's new chief says it may yet be saved.

The Hubble team has released two special images to mark the occasion.

They are new views of two of the best-known objects Hubble has observed.

One is of the spiral galaxy M51 (also known as the whirlpool galaxy). The other shows the Eagle Nebula, a tall, dense tower of gas being sculpted by ultraviolet light from a group of massive, hot stars.

"Hubble is the best mission in Nasa's fleet," commented Steven Beckwith, director of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, US, which operates Hubble.

"It's producing beautiful science that the public loves and it makes us all look great," he told the BBC News website.

Major discoveries

Without servicing of its fading batteries and gyroscopes, the observatory will probably stop taking pictures by 2007 or 2008. To the outrage of many astronomers, Nasa's previous administrator Sean O'Keefe cancelled all plans to repair the telescope.

But now Hubble has been thrown a lifeline: the agency's new chief, Mike Griffin, has pledged to re-visit the decision.

	M51 (the whirlpool galaxy). (Image: Nasa/Esa/Hubble Heritage Team) The whirlpool galaxy's curving arms are home to new stars

Speaking to the BBC News website before the appointment of Dr Griffin as Nasa administrator, Dr Beckwith said: "[Hubble] helps science, it helps other missions and it helps Nasa. So I would hope [Nasa's new administrator] could re-open the question of shuttle-based servicing or robotic servicing - either one."

Since it was launched on 24 April 1990, Hubble has produced over 700,000 images of the Universe. There is a long list of scientific achievements made by scientists using the telescope.

Hubble has helped astronomers calculate the age of the Universe (13.7 billion years old), has helped confirm the existence of dark energy and has gathered evidence that the expansion of the Universe is accelerating.

[swordfish71]

I keep expecting someone to post a Hubble pic of the universe with a screaming Howard Dean in the middle.

Think of the humor, think of the joy......


Think of the caption possibilities!

[add925]

Hubble has given us some great wallpaper, but I think its time to move on IF there's a higher-res system on the drawing boards, build it

Put some new technology & Americans to work NASA....Oh and BTW, forget your Environmental Research efforts....NOAA's got your back.

[dirtboy]

I keep expecting someone to post a Hubble pic of the universe with a screaming Howard Dean in the middle.

Don't have that, but maybe this will suffice in its stead:

[Mr. Jeeves]

PS. There's a 1 in 700 chance Hubble will kill someone at reentry..

"Then I suppose some sort of hat would be in order." -- Edmund Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson), Blackadder II

[swordfish71]

ROFL!

Thanks!

[add925]

I keep expecting someone to post a Hubble pic of the universe with a screaming Howard Dean in the middle.

Your wish is my command....

[swordfish71]

Oh damn.....now I have coffee all over the monitor!

YEEEEEEEEAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!

[swordfish71]

It has now been proven that Howeird Dean is from outer space!


(we now return you to your regular thread!)

[Blood of Tyrants]

Artificial intelligence will never overcome natural stupidity.

[pookie18]

Thanks...will rerun in Today's Toons 4/26/05 with a strange audio attachment...

[RadioAstronomer]

but we use something better now. Same with Hubble.

There is nothing better at the moment, nor is there anything better on the drawing boards.

[RadioAstronomer]

The Hubble did its job and it is time to let go.

Correction. Hubble is doing its job and there are amny more years and upgrades left in her. Nothing can replace Hubble at the moment.

If people really cared about the Hubble, then they should form a company that will charge people people to use the Hubble, contract a company to maintain the Hubble.

It takes a Shuttle to service it. Also, Hubble is about pushing the frontiers of science.

[RadioAstronomer]

Most of the scientist hates the man space program and they think that space is thier personal playground...

None that I personally know. And I am in the biz.

[RadioAstronomer]

So, it's time to put up a new orbiting observatory IMO and let Hubble go

Hubble is modular and designed to be upgraded with better technology as it is developed. A new observatory would cost billions and IMHO, would never get funded.

[RadioAstronomer]

FYI, this same debate is raging across NASA and the aerospace industry in general. I know, I have been in a few. :-)

[Nonstatist]

What I dont understand is why they cant raise money to fix it

The robotic repair mission is fully funded thru October and they have passed the Preliminary Design Review.

So, if Congress keeps it funded , theyll be a mission in '07. Of course, that will depend on Congress and the usual naysayer sceptics in the "Space" Community!

[Physicist]

There is nothing better at the moment, nor is there anything better on the drawing boards.

Well, there is the James Webb Space Telescope on the drawing boards, but there's quite a bit of drawing left to do. Assuming the schedule doesn't slip <cough/> it should be launched in August, 2011.

[zeugma]

I love the pics of the Cats Eye nebula. Have you seen the one where they had 2 shots of it separated by s few years? They were put together in an animated gif. You can actually see the nebula expanding. Quite remarkable.

[RadioAstronomer]

Well, there is the James Webb Space Telescope on the drawing boards, but there's quite a bit of drawing left to do. Assuming the schedule doesn't slip it should be launched in August, 2011.

The James Webb Space Telescope will be a great compliment to Hubble, however, it will not replace it as the Webb does not look in the same bands as Hubble.