Thu, Apr 08, 2004
But None Involve Manned Missions To Hubble Telescope
NASA is reportedly considering more
than 25 ideas on just how it can extend the useful life of the
telescope, as well as what to do with it when that useful life is
over. Even so, it still doesn't look like there will be a manned
mission to service the space telescope. Ever.
Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt (MD) put out a "Request
for Information" almost two months ago, according to MSNBC. The
answers were due March 22nd. Goddard received 27 responses --
dealing with how a space-going robot might repair the Hubble.
The real question is whether a robot can do the job at all.
Could an unmanned vehicle, for instance, change out worn components
in the Hubble's delicate astronomical instrumentation? Could robots
mount external battery and gyro packs on the telescope to extend
its life?
In answer to those questions, the proposals NASA received ranged
in length from two pages to more than 200.
Hubble's lifespan appears to be
regulated by the life of its battery array. It's a race against
time as a team of experts at Goddard continues studies into whether
"tele-robotics" can maintain the telescope. If nothing is done,
Hubble faces an uncontrolled re-entry as early as 2013.
Before then, NASA will have to decide whether to dump the Hubble
in a controlled re-entry -- probably into the ocean -- or boost it
into an even higher orbit, where it will be parked until someone,
flying something, can get up there and service it. If NASA decides
to boost, it still has to configure a suitable propulsion module
that would be attached -- by robots -- to the telescope vehicle
itself.
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