Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
The Hubble may be saved!
- Thread starter michaelrjohnson
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
michaelrjohnson said:
Why don't they just have the International Space Station have a built-in Hubble II. Then it can be serviced on the station. Hubble II could be even more powerful than the original Hubble.
The original hubble wasn't built by aliens, they have the technology to build another one.
BornAgainMac said:
"There are at least three robotic candidates for the repair mission: Johnson Space Center's Robonaut, which looks very much like a white-suited astronaut, except that it has a monopod where human legs might be; the University of Maryland's Ranger, which looks like a stick figure; and the Canadian Space Agency's Dextre, a two-armed robot with multiple joints."
Use of the robot sounds like a good idea. At least it could be an interim fix until a better plan would come along as you suggested.
BornAgainMac said:
I strongly agree with BornAgain.... If the math is not so hard and the trajectory within limits then push one or the other into synchronous orbit with the other and combine the 2 into a multi-platform station. This would eliminate the need to build another telescope for the space station and give the Hubble another life, and at the same time allow it to be serviced as a part of a complex, instead of separate entities.
Sparky's said:
Nice idea except.......well, they different orbital inclinations (ISS to allow easier access for the Russians), they have different altitudes (Hubble to allow for better observations, less atmospheric influence) and the biggest problem with combining Hubble with the ISS is the ISS is so huge, it would block major portions of the sky from view and/or would require prohibitive amounts of fuel to rotate the whole station to open those portions of the sky.
Sorry to burst that bubble.
I didn't say I had the blue prints worked out, and I understand the difficulties in even trying to figure out how it might work, but yeah, what a concept! If an arm of some kind could be devised to hold the Hubble out away from the main body of the ISS and then be rotated into position when needed, that would be my assumption of the easiest fix. I'm no structural engineer but having seen the "arm" of the space shuttle work, and that looked like it would snap off at the least amount of pressure, I would think that an "arm" to mount the Hubble to wouldn't be so difficult.
I think this is great news. Considering the technology we now have, we should know a lot more about the universe and solar system than we do. Let's not take away one of the best things we have.
I'm glad they finally decided to service the satellite and not let it burn up in orbit. Also good to see that the uproar from the astronomy community managed to change NASA's mind. Looking forward to seeing more crazy stuff from Hubble over the years to come.
But by far the greatest thing to come from all of this is the development of robotic servicing systems for Earth orbit. It will open up a whole new world for NASA and humans in space. The potential is huge.....
D
But by far the greatest thing to come from all of this is the development of robotic servicing systems for Earth orbit. It will open up a whole new world for NASA and humans in space. The potential is huge.....
D
This is good new and shows what the public can do by putting constant pressure on the idiots in charge like O'keefe who find it so easy to throw away things when they are paid for by the American Tax payer. now if we can only change Nasa's political beuracratic wasteful stumbling ways then there may be hope for the space program.