Hubble Rescue

Topic(s): science
2004-04-30 01:18:30 PST

Usually I'm excellent at remembering where I read a news article. I'm going to break my own rule this time. I'm not using a link. Instead, I'll use the phrase I read an article somewhere.

To quickly catch you up, the Hubble Space Telescope needs a service mission. Hubble won't last much longer without some new parts. Problem is, NASA can't send up a shuttle to do the servicing.

I read an article somewhere that described the current plan to save the Hubble Space Telescope. The current plan is to use an unmanned launch vehicle to send up a robotic mechanic, and have the robot install the new parts.

I'll go on record as saying there are only two outcomes from this plan:

1. It'll never happen (most likely), or,
2. It'll fail.

The reason I say it'll never happen is because people who understand satellite service missions know it's nearly impossible to successfully pull it off. These people work at NASA. The reason I say it'll fail is because every satellite repair mission to date has had some twist that required human ingenuity. Robots don't have human ingenuity.

When the time comes, I'll be sure to point out if I was right or wrong.

Oh, I wrote about the situation surrounding Hubble in a past entry.

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