Will NASA's Hubble Servicing Mission Save the Telescope?

[russ_watters]

I thought it was toast - apparently not: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2006-09-21-atlantis-hubble_x.htm

A safe landing Thursday by space shuttle Atlantis after a nearly flawless mission brightened the prospects for a repair flight to the ailing Hubble Space Telescope, space experts said.
"NASA is ready to make a positive decision and was mainly waiting for a successful" Atlantis flight, said space policy scholar John Logsdon of George Washington University. "I would be extremely surprised if they didn't give a go-ahead."

NASA chief Michael Griffin said after the landing that he'll decide in late October whether to send a shuttle to revive the telescope, which launched in 1990 and will shut down within a few years unless it gets new batteries and other parts.

Sweet.

 

[check]

I heard the original plan (when HST was brand new) was to have a shuttle return it to Earth after it was decommissioned but that was later deemed too risky because of the heavy load on the shuttle during a re-entry. Would have been cool to see the actual HST hanging in the Smithsonian though sometime in the future instead of the mock up they have.

 

[sir-pinski]

The successful landing of the space shuttle Atlantis has certainly brightened the prospects for a repair mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. This news comes as a relief to many who believed that the telescope was beyond saving. With NASA's chief Michael Griffin indicating a positive decision in late October, it seems that the Hubble may have a chance at a longer lifespan. This is great news for the scientific community and for all those who have been fascinated by the incredible images and discoveries made by the telescope over the years. It goes to show that with determination and innovation, even seemingly impossible tasks can be achieved. Here's hoping that the Hubble Servicing Mission will be a success and we can continue to learn more about our universe.