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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

White House Cuts Hubble Servicing Mission from 2006 Budget Request

Well, we knew it was gonna happen with the present mind set at the White house. The go-ahead has been given to scuttle the Hubble and sent it tumbling into the pacific.

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WASHINGTON – The White House has eliminated funding for a mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope from its 2006 budget request and directed NASA to focus solely on de-orbiting the popular spacecraft at the end of its life, according to government and industry sources.

NASA is debating when and how to announce the change of plans. Sources told Space News that outgoing NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe likely will make the announcement Feb. 7 during the public presentation of the U.S. space agency’s 2006 budget request.

That budget request, according to government and industry sources, will not include any money for Hubble servicing but will include some money for a mission to attach a propulsion module to Hubble needed to safely de-orbit the spacecraft with a controlled re-entry into the Pacific Ocean. NASA would not need to launch such a mission before the end of the decade to guide the massive telescope safely into the ocean.

More here at Space.com: www.space.com/news/hubble_budget_050121.html

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How in the hell can anyone with a good conscience, send the Hubble to a fiery death?

On the Coast to Coast radio show this morning, Phil Platt - "The Bad Astronomer" has the same opinion as I do regarding NASA and the weak Lilli-livered and spineless people they now have over there. We need the likes of people from the 60' & 70's, who have a love of space and not play "please the man" politics. I wouldn't feel as bad if we had the next generation of Space telescope ready to take it's place, but this plan is so myopic and is clearly the thinking of fools & incompetents.

What is costs us in a scant few days in Iraq, we could either repair the Hubble or create a bigger & better space Telescope. The Government wants to blind us.

This is so wrong...and ignorant. But the American public has recently said what it wants at the voting booth.

[Al Degutis]

This is bad news.

But I don't think it's that last we'll hear about it. We need to write our congressmen and tell then what we think. Also, it's not uncommon for funding to be restored later as money gets shuffled around.

Still... this is a say day.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

The Fight Begins Once Again for Hubble's Life

This latest from Space.com:

A White House decision to cut funding for a Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission and dump the observatory into a remote stretch of ocean waters at a future date is sure to incite debate in scientific, engineering, and policy making circles.

Intensive work has been underway at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to develop telerobotic servicing skills for the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in the event that a space shuttle crew is never again sent to the orbiting facility. Aerospace firms in the United States and in Canada have teamed with NASA to develop a Hubble Robotic Vehicle Deorbit Module.

Either a robotic or shuttle-based servicing option reportedly would cost in excess of $1 billion. That pricetag is viewed by the White House, according to sources, as not affordable given other high-priority and more expensive efforts, such as the return-to-flight of the space shuttle program, as well as moving forward on NASA’s Moon, Mars and beyond agenda.

White House plans to scuttle Hubble is part of NASA’s 2006 budget request, sources said, with some money in the budget allocated to using a propulsion module coupled to Hubble for its safe but destructive deorbiting.

This next statement is a kick...

[i["President Nixon cancelled in 1973 the Hubble Telescope while it was still in the development phase. The reason was similar: other activities in the NASA budget took priority," Bahcall told SPACE.com. "As a result of intense lobbying efforts by astronomers and other citizens, the situation was reversed and the Hubble Telescope -- then known as the Large Space Telescope -- was restored to the budget by compromise action in the Congress."[/i]

More here: www.space.com/news/hubble_wars_050124.html

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What's with the Republican agenda? Regardless, the progressive people who desire space exploration had saved the Hubble before...and it's time to do it again.

Let's get to it!

[starbux]

There is a possible alternative, but it may be unthinkable to many, either out of "national pride" or on-the-face-of-it outlandishness: Why not simply sell the Hubble to a company/consortium or country with the means to maintain it? Sure, you can continue to petition congress and maybe it will work, but then what if it does not? And future Shuttle missions when they resume, will not be risking going beyond the low earth orbit of the ISS, so there is another factor to consider.

If you owned a premium telescope/observatory but were no longer able (or willing) to pay to maintain/operate it would you take a wrecking ball to the thing, or would you try to find a new home/owner who would at least try their best to keep it operational? Surely the answer is obvious.

By the way, whatever became of the Canadian Robot "Dextre" for Hubble Servicing Mission ?

With our country's treasure squandered on an endless, unwinnable war (and other chronically wasteful activities), no one here should be counting on the government to deliver anything of good in the future. Time to think out of the box. Humanity's future in space will be international, and commercial or it will be doomed. Period.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Malcolm,

You are so correct about not depending on our government to "take care of things". It has been suggested that we pay the Russians to go on a repair mission. I think that is a doable proposal. We know that we can retrofit their Soyuz capsules to fit our hardware ala the Soyuz/Apollo joint mission in the late '70's. The problem may lie in available on-board storage.

Another is to attach rocket motors to the Hubble, and instead of shooting it onto the pacific... altering it's orbit to a much higher one...pretty much into a parking orbit and out of the way. Then later when we can launch a mission to save it, it will be there waiting.

Aside of the Russians, I don't know who else can be of service. The Chinese will be sending up men soon, but it's too early in their space program to ask them to do this for us. Private enterprise too, is not where they should be yet.

But sending it into the ocean in a flaming spectacle is criminal.

...and the arm?.......I understand it's now in a arcade machine in a carnival in downstate Arkansas, grasping small stuffed animals for a quarter...courtesy of out going incompetent...O'keefe.

[starbux]

The problem is with the premise of "us" paying (again having to get the govt to allocate the funds) the Russians to maintain it . Selling Hubble to an international consortium is doable here and now. Russia has the technology, and China (along with others) have the money.

Seriously. All NASA needs to do is put Hubble up for bids. A consortium would come together, even if there had not been one before. (almost) Guarantee it would save Hubble, one way or another.