The Art Neuro Weblog

Hubble Trouble
One of four instruments has gone down aboard the Hubble telescope. So now NASA are looking to launch a rtobotic mission to Hubble; except they don't know where the money's coming from.

"Let's go save the Hubble," O'Keefe said. He did not say whether the failed instrument would be repaired. O'Keefe told about 200 employees at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center to develop a firm proposal within a year, at which
time a decision would be made whether to proceed.

NASA officials have stated previously that a full-fledged robotic servicing mission would likely cost in excess of $1 billion. A recent internal NASA study, according to government and industry sources, estimated the cost at $1.6 billion to $2.3 billion -- several times more than what NASA has spent in the past mounting space shuttle missions to the telescope.

It is not clear where the money would come from.

That may be money well spent. Hubble may be past its prime, but the value of Hubble as an on-going resource is too great to waste. It's not as if another telescope is ready to replace it

- Art Neuro