HST Mark II?

Davoud wrote:
CLT:
It's not simple patriotism or "our engineers are better than yours." It was
a workplace environment created all the way at the top. In the one case:
"You will get a man up there, no matter how many you kill doing it." vs.
"Make sure you get them back safe as we can't take the propaganda hit if you
kill someone." (not the only reason --- this is oversimplified)

Vastly. I was "involved" with the Soviet space and missile programs in
the 1960's in an intelligence collection and analysis capacity in the
U.S. Air Force. I disagree with your implication that there was
complete disregard for Cosmonaut's lives in the Soviet program.

Particularly after Komarov's death. As has become clear (read Asif
Siddiqi's "Challenge to Apollo" if you have the slightest interest
in the Societ space program), the Soviet leadership was very
serious about the decision that never again would a cosmonaut be
sent on a flight profile which had not been done with the same
design under automatic and ground control. They held to this even
though it may well have cost the USSR a shot at the first person
around the Moon. The real recklessness was in the early days
(I'm particularly thinking of Voskhod, either one).o

Bill Keel

The real recklessness was in the early days
(I'm particularly thinking of Voskhod, either one).o

Agreed. With Gagarin, I was talking about the earliest days.

Clear Skies

Chuck Taylor
Do you observe the moon?
Try http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lunar-observing/

Are you interested in understanding optics?
Try http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ATM_Optics_Software/

************************************

Bill Keel

Mark C. Farrington wrote:
David Knisely wrote:

Mark C. Farrington wrote:

No, the original mirror distorted once the HST was put in orbit.
There was a miscalculation when the mirror was ground and the
difference in gravitational stress between ground level and zero-g
was not properly accounted for.



Well, maybe you heard this on the 'distortions' of the History
Channel, but I'm afraid it isn't true. The mirror was figured
incorrectly on the ground due to a tester problem and not due to any
gravitational distortion. The null corrector for the testing setup
was installed incorrectly, and thus the testing yielded the wrong
information for those doing the final figuring of the mirror. Clear
skies to you.


Thanks for the correction. In regards to the original question though,
is the backup mirror configured correctly?

I said that in a previous post, but in further reading I couldn't find
evidence that it was correct.


Shawn

I was told that the USAF offered to let NASA test the Hubble optics.
full-up, in one of the NRO labs that routinely checks out recce
satellites before launch. But none of the NASA managers or engineers had
the required security clearances, and NASA HQ didn't want to bother with
it. As they say, duh-oh.

CLT wrote:
No, the original mirror distorted once the HST was put in orbit. There
was a miscalculation when the mirror was ground and the difference in
gravitational stress between ground level and zero-g was not properly
accounted for.


I believe that was urban legend. The problem was in the null test and should
have been caught by a cross check with different method, but that would have
cost too much.

Clear Skies

Chuck Taylor
Do you observe the moon?
Try http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lunar-observing/

Are you interested in understanding optics?
Try http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ATM_Optics_Software/

************************************