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NASA To Service Hubble
That headline didn't come out quite right, but I'm too lazy to change it.
NASA has announced they'll upgrade & update the Hubble Space Telescope after all instead of letting it die in orbit. I'm quite happy with the news: we've obtained a lot of good science from the telescope. It was so expensive initially that I think it a good use of money to spend a little extra to keep it functioning until 2013. And once the space shuttles are retired in 2010, the successor manned vehicle may not have the ability or facility to upgrade the telescope. By 2013, it will be about 23 years old, a good time to consider replacement with a completely new platform.
NASA has announced they'll upgrade & update the Hubble Space Telescope after all instead of letting it die in orbit. I'm quite happy with the news: we've obtained a lot of good science from the telescope. It was so expensive initially that I think it a good use of money to spend a little extra to keep it functioning until 2013. And once the space shuttles are retired in 2010, the successor manned vehicle may not have the ability or facility to upgrade the telescope. By 2013, it will be about 23 years old, a good time to consider replacement with a completely new platform.