Unfortunately, NASA does not seem to be taking a particularly rational
approach to saving Hubble. Goddard wants to spend $300 million on
developing a robotic servicing mission. Too bad for this option that
by the time the system is developed, all the Hubble gyros will likely
be out of action, making a robotic mission difficult if not
impossible. Johnson Space Center wants to use 2 Shuttles for a
servicing mission, one for the prime mission, one as a backup in case
the first Shuttle has problems inflight and the crew needs to be
rescued. Since there is no way that NASA would launch a Shuttle in a
few days in the wake of a possibly unknown crippling accident aboard a
prior Shuttle, this 2 Shuttle option won't pass the first serious
look.

So, things look grim not just for Hubble but to avoid a 2nd Skylab
type failure.


"Scott M. Kozel" wrote in message ...
Craig Fink wrote:

.. belongs in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, not spread across the
earth as a debris field.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/994737.asp?0cv=TB10

begin quote

In the wake of the space shuttle Columbia disaster, NASA pulled the plug on
any plans it had to retrieve the Hubble Space Telescope at the end of its
life so it could be displayed in a museum.

end quote, begin rant

NASA (or better yet Congress) should pull the plug on some NASA managers,
instead of the Hubble Space Telescope. The Hubble Space Telescope has
contributed so much to our the knowledge of the Universe it would be
criminal not to put it in a museum for display along with all it's
achievements.

NASA management, definitely the "Wrong Stuff". Not a care in the world
about spreading Columbia all across East Texas, but worried about Hubble
debris. Not a creative or innovative thought about how to repair Columbia
on-orbit with the stuff they had on-board. No wonder they can't figure out
how to make a repair kit for the heat shield so they can service or bring
Hubble down safely.

end rant

Save the Hubble, from a disgraceful death,

Is there a shuttle flight that would have utility and justification
independent of a HST return, that would take place at the correct time
and mission profile, when the HST has reached the end of its life?