[bedolido]

[Nonstatist]

The next repair mission is next year, with the shuttle. Theyre going to have to set up another one in maybe '07 (replace gyros as well as add new science instruments). That gets you until '10 , maybe. Then after that they could go back up with the shuttle (or some other way?) and add boosters so that they can reset orbit to geo-sync (22000 miles) and let it ride out the last couple years, without maintainance. That way you dont have to worry about retrieval or burning up in reentry, landing who knows where... Sounds like a plan !?

[theDentist]

Something working as well as Hubble, and costing as much, shouldn't be jettisoned due to age while it is still providing us such great insights to the Universe.

[Cincinatus]

NASA is looking into developing a robotic spacecraft that could attach itself to the telescope, but many astronomers argued that the job could be done more reliably by astronauts.

What??!?? Paragons of modern science actually advocating something significant in space can be done by mere humans!?!? Be still my fluttering heart! Oh my...I'm getting the vapors.....

[js1138]

another one for the ping list

[RonF]

It's there. It works. It would be nuts not to keep using it. Ground-based telescopes that are 50 and 100 years old are still being productively used for research. Not keeping Hubble going would be foolish, especialy at least until it's replacement was up and running. There's still plenty of work that Hubble can do; not everyone who wants time on the new system will get it.

[RonF]

I visited the Yerkes Observatory 2 years ago, and checked out the 40" (the largest refractor in the world). It was built in 1897 and is still used for research. One thing they use it for is to take star pictures. These are compared to pictures of the same stars taken up to over 100 years ago so as to measure proper motions. At the time the initial pictures were taken this was the world's largest telescope, so you can make precise measurements of proper motions possible with no other telescope in the world.

I was at a Scout meeting at George Williams College next door, but skipped out to take a tour of the facility (9:30, 10:30, and 11:30 Saturday mornings), on the justification that I'm an Astronomy MB counselor, plus I just wanted to.

[Boiler Plate]

Now that the ChiComs are about to put a man into space, maybe the US will get serious about a replacement to the shuttle. Hopefully Burt Rutan has the answer.

[farmfriend]

ping

[Mamzelle]

re: Another element was the inspirational qualities that Hubble has both for astronomers and for the public, Dr. Bahcall said.)))

Oh, our physicist priesthood...Hubble Huggers.

[jimkress]

Experts Urge a Reprieve for the Hubble Space Telescope

Should really be:

Government bureaneers beg the government to save their jobs.

[LibKill]

"It's old, but it's good."