NASA Prepares for Possible Shuttle Mission to Save Hubble

Posted on: May. 1st, 2005 || Source: space.com | E-mail Article | Print Article

NASA's new Administrator Mike Griffin told reporters today that he informed key members of Congress Thursday evening that he would direct engineers at Goddard Spaceflight center to start preparing for a space shuttle servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope on the assumption that one ultimately will go forward.

Griffin's predecessor, Sean O'Keefe, cancelled a planned Hubble mission in January 2004. O'Keefe cited safety concerns in the wake of the shuttle Columbia disaster.

Astronomers, politicians and the public have been up in arms about the cancellation ever since. A review board of experts assembled by O'Keefe recommended a shuttle mission to Hubble be reconsidered, but O'Keefe never budged. He was, however, persuaded to consider a robotic mission to service the telescope, which if it does not get new batteries and gyroscopes will cease to function in the next two to three years.

There is no replacement for Hubble's visible-light acuity even in the serious planning stages.

Read the full article

• Boeing, US Navy Offer Super Hornet for Denmark Fighter Competition
• Boeing Awarded US Army Contract for 191 CH-47F Chinook Helicopters
• The Netherlands shows interest in Gripen
• 4th F-35 Lightning II Rolls Out As Production Line Fills Up At Lockheed
• Lockheed Martin C-5m Super Galaxy Completes Flight Test
• Air Guard Predator pilots increase combat air patrols
• Predator passes 400,000 hours
• Future Predator/Reaper Formal Training Unit announced
• Saab/Gripen team completes Hungarian offset contract
• South African Gripen deliveries on track
• Boeing Delivers Super Hornet Proposal to Brazil For F-X2 Competition
• Northrop to Support NASA's Global Hawk Earth Science Research Aircraft
• NATO forces a step closer to attaining C-17s
• Northrop, Rockwell Collins Prove Concept for New B-2 Cockpit Display
• Navy's BAMS UAS Program Begins After GAO Ruling