CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Seven astronauts will set sail on a high-stakes Hubble Space Telescope overhaul this week, aiming to revive the observatory's sightless infrared eyes while outfitting it with the world's most powerful planetary camera. Amid five daunting spacewalks, the astronauts also intend to perform chancy transplant surgery on the electrical heart of Hubble, replacing a crucial but flawed power distribution system as well as its aging solar arrays. But in what could be a major disaster in the making, the $3 billion telescope will be completely shut down to do the work, an unprecedented move that will put Hubble into an orbital coma. And if the observatory can't be electrically resuscitated, NASA would end up writing an obituary for the iconic instrument of astronomical discovery. "It's kind of like open heart surgery, except we don't have it on a heart-lung machine," said NASA lead flight director Bryan Austin. If it doesn't work, "Hubble is dead," astronaut Rick Linnehan added. "There's no power to (the telescope). And that's the end of Hubble." For the complete article visit: http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/sts109_preview_020225-1.html This valuable, irreplaceable telescope has provided many of the pictures that have been posted in this forum. Wether we like it or not, it is nearing the end of it's life expectancy. It will be a sad day when it no longer functions.
But where are you getting the information that someone is trying to interfere with these repairs?? (sorry, I could not resist) Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Peace.
That's what I get for not prereading before posting... You know they are going to do it like they did with the horses in the old west and hobble it to keep it from running off while they repair it.
hmmm...maybe a wheelchair would be better for the hobblin' old man ending his 'life expectancy.' I must say he's a hellofa photographer, though.
