Probably Stupid Idea for Saving Hubble

Instead of making saving Hubble dependent on the successful design of an
elaborate telemanipulator device that will completely recondition the whole
telescope... and probably wreck it if it does one thing wrong...

if it is possible to launch a simple robot probe to Hubble to cause it to fall
into the sea...

and if the Space Station meets NASA's safety standards as a place to send
astronauts even if they have to fly there in the superannuated Shuttle...

why not send a robot probe to the Hubble Space Telescope that will simply shift
it into the Space Station's orbit?

Then, it can be repaired at the Space Station, and then sent back up into its
usual high orbit. In fact, if this is successful, it could be sent back up into
an even higher orbit, so we wouldn't have to worry about having to make it fall
into the sea later. After all, we don't have to worry about the Moon falling
down.

Of course, that would use more fuel, and a really advanced telemanipulator would
be useful for other things; sending people into space, but only when necessary,
with some work done ahead of time for them.

John Savard
http://home.ecn.ab.ca/~jsavard/index.html