NASA considering robotic servicing mission to Hubble

Don Savage
Headquarters, Washington June 1, 2004
(Phone: 202/358-1727)

Susan Hendrix
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
(Phone: 301/286-7745)

RELEASE: 04-173

NASA CONSIDERING ROBOTIC SERVICING MISSION TO HUBBLE

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe today announced the
agency's decision to pursue the feasibility of a robotic
servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). NASA
initiated the first step toward enabling such a mission with
the release of a Request for Proposals today. The due date
for proposal submissions is July 16, 2004.

"This is the first step in a long process of developing the
best options to save Hubble," Administrator O'Keefe said. "We
are on a tight schedule to assure a Hubble servicing mission
toward the end of calendar year 2007. But we must act
promptly to fully explore this approach."

Although the primary goal of a robotic mission is to install
a deorbit module on the HST, NASA is studying the feasibility
of performing other tasks. The tasks could include installing
new batteries, gyros and possibly science instruments that
would enhance the observatory's ability to peer even more
deeply into the universe. The final decision about specific
robotic tasks will be made after all proposals have been
thoroughly reviewed.

For HST images and information on the Internet, visit:

http://hubblesite.org

For information about NASA and agency programs on the
Internet, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov



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Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info