________________________________
Von: Daniel Rocha <[email protected]>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
This argument is not right. It is not valid also to compare it to a computer or
aircraft projects. The development of Hubble led to a unique architecture, not
to mass production. It would take a long time to build another one. So, fixing
it in space, even if required a lot of money, was necessary or a lot of
fundamental research would be long delayed.
2012/5/26 Jed Rothwell <[email protected]>
Randy Wuller <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>You could have replaced the Hubble many time over for the cost of the Shuttle
>and its operation.
>>
>
>
>That is true. See the book "Hubble Wars." The cost of the Shuttle mission to
>repair the Hubble was greater than the cost of launching a new Hubble would
>have been. I regret to say this, but it was a publicity stunt.
>
>- Jed
>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
It was probably both.
Simply replacing Hubble by a corrected twin (optics) would have been
prohibitive.
Replacing the optics in orbit was a new stunt, and as such a 'sale' to the
public.
Space instruments never stay the same over time, except for the instance when
You have a complete spare, which in reality never happens.
( Having been involved in Herschel project control and instrumentation, I know
what I'm talking about.
Impossible to repair in this case, because it is located at Lagrange point 2.
Cost: A meager 1 billion Euros. Thankfully successful.
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Herschel/index.html )
For the Hubble successor, see 'James Webb':
...
In April 2006, the program was independently reviewed following a
re-planning phase begun in August 2005. The review concluded the program
was technically sound, but that funding phasing at NASA needed to be
changed. NASA has re-phased its JWST budgets accordingly. The August
2005 re-planning was necessitated by the cost growth revealed in Spring
2005.
...
Launch date is currently 2018.
Cost:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Webb_Space_Telescope#Reported_cost_and_schedule_issues
Round it up to 2020 and add a couple of billions.
Guenther
