Hubble hit by instrument failure

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the recent instrument failure of the Hubble Space Telescope, specifically the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS). Participants explore the implications of this failure, the operational history of Hubble, and the future of space telescopes, including potential replacements and maintenance issues.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that the STIS was designed for a five-year lifespan but has been operational for seven years, raising questions about its longevity and reliability.
  • Concerns are expressed regarding the future of Hubble and the potential need for a replacement, with some arguing that the entire field of cosmology relies on Hubble's observations.
  • Others highlight the importance of maintaining Hubble until a suitable replacement is operational, emphasizing that new telescopes like the Large Binocular Telescope will not fully replace Hubble's capabilities.
  • There are mentions of political and logistical challenges surrounding Hubble's maintenance and the shuttle program, with some participants expressing skepticism about future repair missions.
  • A robotic rescue mission for Hubble has been approved by NASA, but participants note that it may not be cost-effective.
  • Some participants express emotional attachment to Hubble, reflecting on its contributions to astronomy and the potential loss of its capabilities.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of concerns regarding Hubble's future, with some advocating for its maintenance and others highlighting the challenges and uncertainties surrounding its operational status. There is no clear consensus on the best path forward for Hubble or its replacement.

Contextual Notes

Participants discuss various assumptions about the lifespan of instruments, the capabilities of future telescopes, and the political landscape affecting NASA's decisions. These factors remain unresolved and are subject to differing interpretations.

Ivan Seeking
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One of the four instruments on board the Hubble Space Telescope has stopped working, US space agency Nasa has said.
The STIS, or Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, was installed during the second Hubble servicing mission in 1997 and was designed to work for five years

It was used to investigate black holes, to discover dim stars that reveal clues to the age of the Universe and study the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet.

Engineers are currently trying to track down the source of the problem. [continued]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3545130.stm
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
The STIS, or Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, was installed during the second Hubble servicing mission in 1997 and was designed to work for five years

If I do a bit of arithmetic, it looks like they have gotten 7 years out of a 5yr tool...hmm.?

Does anyone have any info about when or if the shuttles will fly again?
 
I last heard in Feb. 2005

There is a serious movement [that appears to be growing] to save the Hubble. This problem may not help that effort.
 
Integral said:
If I do a bit of arithmetic, it looks like they have gotten 7 years out of a 5yr tool...hmm.?

When one considers the work rate and lifespan of Earth bound functional devises..say a 'webcamera attached to a computer window's operating system'..I think the fatigue that Hubble is currently experiencing is a small price for almost perfect continuous workrate( only one small blink ) in the whole continueous existence, will need a long break soon, what are we going to do without this amazing tool?
 
Olias said:
When one considers the work rate and lifespan of Earth bound functional devises..say a 'webcamera attached to a computer window's operating system'..I think the fatigue that Hubble is currently experiencing is a small price for almost perfect continuous workrate( only one small blink ) in the whole continueous existence, will need a long break soon, what are we going to do without this amazing tool?
Let us hope that the decision is made to keep it functioning until a replacement is in place. I do not think the work it can do is complete. Does not the entire field of cosmology rely on this tool for observations? What advances can be made without it, or a replacement, in working order.
 
Integral said:
Let us hope that the decision is made to keep it functioning until a replacement is in place. I do not think the work it can do is complete. Does not the entire field of cosmology rely on this tool for observations? What advances can be made without it, or a replacement, in working order.
The Large Binocular Telescope is scheduled for full operation in 2005, IIR. It will have adaptive optics that will allow it to achieve even higher resolution than one might expect from the large baseline - designed to deliver 10 times the resolution of Hubble and LOTS more light-gathering power. It will be hampered by absorption of some wavelengths by the atmosphere, unlike Hubble - which is still a critically-needed tool! Wonderful instruments like this can't manage to supercede one another - they enhance each other. There are some great old telescopes doing very valuable research - HST is a baby compared to many of them.

The "replacement" space telescope won't be on-line until at least 2011, and it will be optimized for imaging in the infrared. Please contact your US Reps and Senators and explain to them that these valuable tools shouldn't be subject to "either/or" logic. HST can be viable for many more years with proper maintenance and might be capable of much more than it can do currently, if we can upgrade its detectors - surely the on-board sensors were state of the art 10 years ago, but might be improved with today's technology.
 
Last edited:
Integral said:
Let us hope that the decision is made to keep it functioning until a replacement is in place. I do not think the work it can do is complete. Does not the entire field of cosmology rely on this tool for observations? What advances can be made without it, or a replacement, in working order.

I also hope the decision will be made to keep the Hubble functioning, though Nasa has announced that it will not perform any more shuttle maintenance, because the shuttle wouldn't be able to to rendezvous with the ISS in the event of an emergency.

See for instance

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3405249.stm

Good thing the Europeans built the VLT.

There's apparently more politics going on too, of course, though the safety concerns are real. If I keep talking anymore I'm going to start flaming, so I'd better shut up now, except to add that I don't see the situation wrt Hubble repair changing while Bush is president.
 
Hubble has been so good to us :(
 

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