Bush Nixes Hubble Telescope

[Techie2000]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6853009/

I sure hope this does not come to fruitation. Maybe somehow a bunch of private donors can get together to try and fund the mission to save it? The thing truely is a marvel, and takes awsome pictures.

[Piobaireachd]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6853009/

I sure hope this does not come to fruitation. Maybe somehow a bunch of private donors can get together to try and fund the mission to save it? The thing truely is a marvel, and takes awsome pictures.
I agree. There's still time to get the funding in place before it has to be deorbited.

[rowd]

ya know...........sometimes I think George is asleep at the wheel.
Gingrich is going to be screaming bloody murder, this is just the sort of thing that the education community needs to keep kids interested in math and science and the admin. kills it..................a billion bucks, Congress spends that every four hours on the war effort............ :banghead: W T F

[Andy]

Seems silly to worry about fixing that, when NASA can't seem to get 7 humans into space and back safely with the multi-billion budget they currently have.

When they can do that without being shown up by a bunch of civilians who just won the X-prize..then they should focus on extra curricular activities like Hubble.

[MorWired]

Seems silly to worry abut fixing that, when NASA can't seem to get 7 humans into space and back safely with the multi-billion budget they currently have.

When they can do that without being shown up by a bunch of civilians who just won the X-prize..then they should focus on extra curricular activities like Hubble.Hubble isn't extra-curricular, it's one of the most integral and most informative things we've ever done.

I had heard that it was not going to be maintained, but that that was in favor of another even more powerful orbital telescope, rendering Hubble images (as impossible as it seems) obsolete. Is that project no longer being planned/executed?

[Coot]

Hubble isn't extra-curricular, it's one of the most integral and most informative things we've ever done.

I had heard that it was not going to be maintained, but that that was in favor of another even more powerful orbital telescope, rendering Hubble images (as impossible as it seems) obsolete. Is that project no longer being planned/executed?

I think the more powerful telescope was happy gas someone was pedalling. While Bush is talking about laying the ground work for a manned mission to Mars, I think killing off Hubble is just more sad commentary on the Administration's priorities.

[rowd]

Seems silly to worry about fixing that, when NASA can't seem to get 7 humans into space and back safely with the multi-billion budget they currently have.

When they can do that without being shown up by a bunch of civilians who just won the X-prize..then they should focus on extra curricular activities like Hubble.


I heard you on that one........Rutan and his bunch make NASA look silly.

[Andy]

Hubble isn't extra-curricular...

Compared to other items in the budget, like the BRAC-ing of possibly up to 3 or more bases here in NJ, and dozens more across America due to budget cuts, bases that currently support troops deployed abroad and are daily under fire, the Hubble in my book is as frivolus and "after-school activity" as you can get.

Other than pretty wallpaper, it is not doing much in the way of helping Humanity on Earth.
It's not curing Aids, or cancer, it's not stoping famine, and it sure as heck is not freeing people from oppression.

It was launched in 1990 with a projected 15 year lifespan, then expected to be just another piece of man-made spacejunk.

*looks at calendar*

Right on schedule it would seem.

[joseftu]

This administration's priorities have never been a mystery, and they've never been good.

We (well, most of us) elected an administration with no interest in science or learning--in fact with active contempt for science and learning. If Hubble's the only loss (and it's a huge one) we should count ourselves lucky. But I don't think we'll be that lucky. :(

[Coot]

Dunno Andy, a billion for the Hubble doesn't seem like much. Maybe we can whack some of the $15 Billion in pork (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,140216,00.html) to pay for it. :)

[Doctor Dan]

Other than pretty wallpaper, it is not doing much in the way of helping Humanity on Earth. It's not curing Aids, or cancer, it's not stoping famine, and it sure as heck is not freeing people from oppression.

In my book, the pursuit of knowledge helps "Humanity on Earth" more than "freeing" people who deserve to be oppressed.

- Dan

[MorWired]

Compared to other items in the budget, like the BRAC-ing of possibly up to 3 or more bases here in NJ, and dozens more across America due to budget cuts, bases that currently support troops deployed abroad and are daily under fire, the Hubble in my book is as frivolus and "after-school activity" as you can get.

Other than pretty wallpaper, it is not doing much in the way of helping Humanity on Earth.
It's not curing Aids, or cancer, it's not stoping famine, and it sure as heck is not freeing people from oppression.

It was launched in 1990 with a projected 15 year lifespan, then expected to be just another piece of man-made spacejunk.

*looks at calendar*

Right on schedule it would seem.Well, perhaps we might stop spending all that money around the world, places where we weren't asked and aren't wanted, and it would be amazing how much money would be available, for our troops AND for our intellectual endeavors.

And you're wrong about the benefits of Hubble. Just in the years since its launching we've been able to come a long way toward proving and disproving all sorts of hypotheses regarding the origins of the universe. That's far from nothing.

[MorWired]

In my book, the pursuit of knowledge helps "Humanity on Earth" more than "freeing" people who deserve to be oppressed.

- DanJinx! :haha:

And not only do we gain knowledge of the cosmos, but the space program has developed all sorts of advances that have impacted our daily lives. They may develop it for space first, but then they come up with practical applications, and we gain from that in every way.

[RetFireCapt]

Jinx! :haha:

And not only do we gain knowledge of the cosmos, but the space program has developed all sorts of advances that have impacted our daily lives. They may develop it for space first, but then they come up with practical applications, and we gain from that in every way.
TANG!!! VELCRO!!!

[rowd]

TANG!!! VELCRO!!!


How about Hubble’s Top Science Findings (http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/spacecraft/Primer/Top_Findings.htm)

[Andy]

"Gee little Timmy, we're so sorry your school breakfast/lunch program has been slashed yet again, and we're sorry Private Snuffy that not only do we not have enough equipment for you to do your mission, but your base is now closed and you have to move yet again, this time to look for a new career.
But buck-up little campers, we just learned from Humanity's greatest enterprise in the 20th Century that the Universe is bigger than we originally thought!

Soooo, cheer the :friggin: up! At least you've got that going for ya!"
:rolleyes:

Sorry to seem so cynical abut something that is past it's prime and lived it's expected lifespan, but really.. America needs to set it's priorities straight.

Space right now, is way far down on my list.

[MorWired]

TANG!!! VELCRO!!!You again with the Tang? And what about your favorite (debunked) space-pen?

To the corner with ya! :whip:

;)

[Piobaireachd]

:rolleyes:

Sorry to seem so cynical abut something that is past it's prime and lived it's expected lifespan, but really.. America needs to set it's priorities straight.

Space right now, is way far down on my list.
I don't agree. Our future is out there. We should colonize space now. Many of our greatest innovations have been directly tied to the space program or the military. It's just possible that we can do things in an almost gravity free environment that we can't do here (like discover alloys, composites, making purer pharmaceutical drugs, etc.)

[MorWired]

"Gee little Timmy, we're so sorry your school breakfast/lunch program has been slashed yet again, and we're sorry Private Snuffy that not only do we not have enough equipment for you to do your mission, but your base is now closed and you have to move yet again, this time to look for a new career.
But buck-up little campers, we just learned from Humanity's greatest enterprise in the 20th Century that the Universe is bigger than we originally thought!

Soooo, cheer the up! At least you've got that going for ya!":rolleyes:

Sorry to seem so cynical abut something that is past it's prime and lived it's expected lifespan, but really.. America needs to set it's priorities straight.

Space right now, is way far down on my list.You'd prefer to tell little Timmy and Pvt. Snuffy that we don't have any money for them because we needed to hand freedom and liberty to people who have no concept of it and don't want anything to do with us? Do you have any idea of the number of Hubbels we could build (not to mention the funds that would be available for proper treatment of disabled vets and a living wage to active military and programs all across this country) with the funds we have poured into Iraq, unasked, uninvited, and unwelcome?

[ShinyTop]

Mankind's future is in space. This planet will collapse the human population at some point. If we wait until just before that point to decide we need to conquer space it might well be too late.

[archidante]

I don't agree. Our future is out there. We should colonize space now. Many of our greatest innovations have been directly tied to the space program or the military. It's just possible that we can do things in an almost gravity free environment that we can't do here (like discover alloys, composites, making purer pharmaceutical drugs, etc.) the Chinese burned their ships while the Europeans set sail. The new world (and an age only dreamed of) followed. The lesson is clear and simple-new worlds and new ages belong to those who will build the ships and GO.

As for nations, heres the Nambia Angola border from space-Angolas overgrazing and poor landmanagement can be seen in the browner deforestation.

then theres this (http://www.aynrand.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8618&news_iv_ctrl=1077)

[Misu]

I saw that a lot of you guys are heartbroken over the news of Hubble. So I wanted to post some news for you guys. You can kind of consider this "insider" news, since my hubby works at NASA and I hung out with some Nasa dudes yesterday ;)

Hubble was actually slated to die off in 2007, if regular maintenance could have been kept up. There is a problem they are having with the navigation system on Hubble - the gyro's (and I have no idea what that is - I'm just repeating what I was told) have broken one by one, and if one more breaks, it will be impossible to safely navigate Hubble and it's de-orbitting will be uncontrolled. So it's better to do it now than before that last piece breaks.

There was a mission slated to retrieve Hubble, but then it was decided it was not worth risking human life to go retrieve it and bring it back. They wanted to put it in the Smithsonian, but they just can't risk the astronauts to go retrieve it. So they're most likely going to destroy it, and if they can salvage any pieces, great.

Now for the good news: There is another telescope in the works. The James Webb Telescope (http://www.jwst.nasa.gov/) is being worked on and should be ready for deployment in 2011 - our friend (who is also an engineer at NASA) was saying that it seems they're actually moving ahead on schedule with this particular project, so hopefully by mid 2011, this puppy will be up in orbit.

[MorWired]

I saw that a lot of you guys are heartbroken over the news of Hubble. So I wanted to post some news for you guys. You can kind of consider this "insider" news, since my hubby works at NASA and I hung out with some Nasa dudes yesterday ;)

Hubble was actually slated to die off in 2007, if regular maintenance could have been kept up. There is a problem they are having with the navigation system on Hubble - the gyro's (and I have no idea what that is - I'm just repeating what I was told) have broken one by one, and if one more breaks, it will be impossible to safely navigate Hubble and it's de-orbitting will be uncontrolled. So it's better to do it now than before that last piece breaks.

There was a mission slated to retrieve Hubble, but then it was decided it was not worth risking human life to go retrieve it and bring it back. They wanted to put it in the Smithsonian, but they just can't risk the astronauts to go retrieve it. So they're most likely going to destroy it, and if they can salvage any pieces, great.

Now for the good news: There is another telescope in the works. The James Webb Telescope (http://www.jwst.nasa.gov/) is being worked on and should be ready for deployment in 2011 - our friend (who is also an engineer at NASA) was saying that it seems they're actually moving ahead on schedule with this particular project, so hopefully by mid 2011, this puppy will be up in orbit.
Cool. Thanks for the inside scoop. :) I wonder whether the new telescope is the one I posted about, or another project altogether.

[Copzilla]

Now now, I don't accept that, Misu. Here we have a good opportunity to do some Bush bashing and you come up with that. Hell, even the title stated so... I'm thinking this thread needs to be relaunched on BBR. Shame on you.

[ShinyTop]

Now now, I don't accept that, Misu. Here we have a good opportunity to do some Bush bashing and you come up with that. Hell, even the title stated so... I'm thinking this thread needs to be relaunched on BBR. Shame on you.


Didn't BBR self destruct under the weight of the whine after the election? Almost made me wish I had kept my membership. Oh, well.

[Techie2000]

I saw that a lot of you guys are heartbroken over the news of Hubble. So I wanted to post some news for you guys. You can kind of consider this "insider" news, since my hubby works at NASA and I hung out with some Nasa dudes yesterday ;)

Hubble was actually slated to die off in 2007, if regular maintenance could have been kept up. There is a problem they are having with the navigation system on Hubble - the gyro's (and I have no idea what that is - I'm just repeating what I was told) have broken one by one, and if one more breaks, it will be impossible to safely navigate Hubble and it's de-orbitting will be uncontrolled. So it's better to do it now than before that last piece breaks.

There was a mission slated to retrieve Hubble, but then it was decided it was not worth risking human life to go retrieve it and bring it back. They wanted to put it in the Smithsonian, but they just can't risk the astronauts to go retrieve it. So they're most likely going to destroy it, and if they can salvage any pieces, great.

Now for the good news: There is another telescope in the works. The James Webb Telescope (http://www.jwst.nasa.gov/) is being worked on and should be ready for deployment in 2011 - our friend (who is also an engineer at NASA) was saying that it seems they're actually moving ahead on schedule with this particular project, so hopefully by mid 2011, this puppy will be up in orbit.This is most excellent news. It's too bad the guy couldn't be retrieved though.