HST history ( Could the Mars Rover Technology become MilitaryWeapo

wrote:
Pat

It was not just a matter of size but the ESA panels had a more subtle
design failure. The heat cycles from day to night side of orbit caused
them to flap, to spring up and vibrate. I dont know the right english words.
Its not mentioned on Wikipedia. It was a thermal mechanical problem
inherent with the design they chosed.

ESA had never built solar arrays of that size before, so they were
heading into unknown territory as far as design went.
The US and USSR both had lots of experience with large solar arrays, and
in retrospect something based on Skylab's arrays would have probably
made more sense.

Each spring up caused a vibration far beyond the pointing needs. Until
it was dumped out HST could not observe. That reduced the daily
observation time considerably. In "Hubble Wars" (IIRC) a very restricted
"conference" with people from NASA HST and a group from the "black world"
was mentioned. This guys (I called slightly wrong "KH-11 people" above)
were from CIA or at least worked under that control.

It was a presentation of the whole HST project so far (what year?) but
the CIA guys were mostly silent. At the moment they got the ESA solar
panels presented one guy said: "That will not work". Nothing more. IIRC
there were no ESA people (allowed) in the room.

They had a real problem in regards to that; the black world satellite
designers could tell them that something was a bad idea, but couldn't
tell them how to fix it or suggest a better idea.

The desgin failure was in such a subtle way that NASA and ESA missed
it so far. But this guy saw it immediately. I`m certain the CIA or NRO
had faced the very same problem before. Thats the only way he could have
known it. But NASA got no more hint what may be the problem and the
design went through ESA and NASA reviews without seeing it.

I dont know whether NASA/ESA this time had a fast frigerating/heating
chamber to test this large panels. Or it may come up only in weightlessnes.
With no hint and no official "Design wont work!" they had a too hard way
to find it.

They were trying to make the solar arrays as light as possible, and
apparently went too far in that direction to the point where the arrays
weren't structurally sound enough remain rigid under orbital conditions.


I doubt that the CIA guys were already aware of the screwed mirror and
a planned servicing mission. Without the mirror problem the panels would
still be a serious problem worth an immediate repair mission. So the
CIA open eyed let NASA and ESA together drive against the wall. The US
secret space programs got about 10 to 100 times the founding of NASA
science. But they were not willing to allow even a small spin off to
NASA. Just a few words under 4 eyes may have helped: "I had a dream..."

I like that! Yes, one night he dreamed he saw a Big Bird in orbit and
its wings were flapping...

Pat