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The Hubble's destiny : Can we afford shortening its lifespan?
by: Mario Solari, Techlearner Editor Date: March 18, 2004
The latest news on the Hubble telescope seem to indicate that it will be operational only till about 2006-7 instead of the projected 2010-11 date set for the end of its projected mission. This is due to the canceling of its last servicing mission which would allow the Hubble to run all the way to the final 2011 date. The decision to curtail the Hubble's operation came through because of the malfunctions that the Shuttle experienced and led to the Columbia tragedy. The Shuttle is the only spacecraft currently capable of servicing the Hubble, and the safety guidelines now under study by NASA don't allow for such a risky mission, although the possibility of a future flight to the Hubble is still upon consideration. If the next servicing mission is not implemented different functions of the Hubble telescope will stop being operational and cause a shortened lifespan. One cannot overemphasize the contributions the Hubble has already made to science and astronomy, the latest findings continuing to be astounding. Hubble has given us proof of the existence of "black holes", it has also refined our understanding of the cosmos by giving evidence to an accelerating expansion of the universe, and it has provided ample images and data of the universe which otherwise would never have reached our sight and knowledge. Certainly, some may argue that the next telescope (the JWST) will be in orbit in only a few years, its launch date expected by 2011, but nobody can ignore the fact that the Hubble's shorter lifespan will cause a gap in our observation of the universe and hence a gap in our knowledge of the same. What facts will we miss in 4-5 years of obscurity? We will certainly be having an "age of darkness" and there will be no chance for a period of "enlightenment". The Hubble is our only means of observing the cosmos to a reliable and outstanding degree that no other tools permit. And science relies on observation. Without it we are making any additional progress a completely futile effort. We need the Hubble as much as we need our five senses to explore the world around us. Hopefully, this will come clear to make a just decision on the Hubble's future.
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