http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=4881

t's not yet official, but NASA appears to have all the elements in place for the approval of STS-125, Shuttle Discovery's mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope (HST).

HST SM-04 is currently set to launch early in 2008, but may move up to 2007. Discovery will be commanded by Scott Altman. The mission has officially been recommended to have a unique LON (Launch On Need) rescue mission on standby.

Let's hope that SM-4 flies as soon as possible. It is the only manned mission that has my fullest support

Other than my congressman and senators, are there any people we/I could write to , to make sure they know that some people want this mission to happen?

There is also a very good 4-part article in today's spaceflightnow by William Harwood: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0610/27hubble/
From the scientific perspective it makes an overwhelming case to go ahead with SM-4!

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseacti...eoid=1358252330

Speaking of Hubble, someone posted up this personal video they shot of Columbia launching on the last servicing flight in 2002 (STS-109). I added some 'production value' to it, though most people already call this liftoff one of the most "beautiful" launches ever.

You don't need a MySpace account to view this video

I find it mildly ironic that the delay in servicing Hubble caused by the Columbia accident will actually result in a greater operational lifespan for the telescope.

Spaceflightnow.com:

'Go' for Hubble servicing mission

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin today approved a fifth and final shuttle mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. The flight will extend the observatory's life by replacing aging parts and increase its scientific reach by installing two new instruments.

Hubble here we come... again...

If I can use a quaint old English expression....

YES!!!! GET IN THERE!!!!!

Excellent .

Here is one link :
Edit : sorry was a preview story

O'Keefe was so dead set against this I am amazed they did a U-turn. Best astronomy news for a long time. The only thing better would be to hear they'll carry her back from orbit and put her in the Smithsonian.

Fingers crossed so the mission will go A O.K.
Looking forward to some more Hubble Deep Field images

The Hubble Deep Field: the most important image ever taken

I love the hUDF image. There is nothing else like it for sheer sense of wonder. I look at it quite frequently and it still totally boggles my mind. There is a title of a Brian Aldiss book that i think comes close to providing a description of the magnitude of the image: 'Galaxies Like Grains Of Sand'.

I am so pleased that the servicing mission is going ahead. WOO HOO!!!

Just a remark.
The "U-turn" was not the kind of decision like "you said no, so we say yes". There is a rationale behind the decision based on things that were not known/available during O'Keefe times:
- The external tank is developing far less debries then pre-Columbia launches ==> less risk
- There is a plan made for a LON (Launch On Need) mission ==> less risk.

I'm pretty sure the decision would still be no-go on the absence of these two new factors.

Anyway I'm happy too with this decision. Glad to see another (last?) mission to Hubble.

These points are true but I'm intrigued about the very large difference between the 2004 repair mission estimate of $1.7 to $2bn and the current mission plan that will supposedly cost $900m.

Was that at the time when they were considering an entirely robotic servicing mission? It was on the cards for a while.

Even $900m is expensive, but Hubble is one of the few science projects which EVERYONE knows about and EVERYONE has seen the pictures. Keeping that asset alive and productive is a worthwhile exercise even if not for entirely scientific reasons.

Doug

Are you talking about the GAO report from November 2004?

Total SM4 costs were ranging from 1,679 - 2,441 m$.
But these calculation were, lets say, done to be an argument against SM4. They included things like:

- delay of shuttle phase out (3 months): 401 - 1,078 m$ (as if ISS missions are not delayed without SM4)
- autonomous inspection and repair capability: 260 - 300 m$ (already developed and tested for ISS missions)
- autonomous rescue mission capability: 292 - 338 m$ (I doubt this number, you can use a processed rescue shuttle for the next ISS mission)
- extend hubble operation to 2012: 117 m$ (gee, this is what it's all about).

I always thought this report has been done like: we don't want this mission, find as much costs as possible to have arguments to cancel it (and let the robotic mission look cheap and less risky).

Analyst

STS-125 has been postponed towards September-October 2008:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/...ssions/hst_sm4/

All...

NASA briefings on the upcoming STS-125 Hubble Servicing mission can all be found here...

http://www.space-multimedia.nl.eu.org/inde...84&Itemid=1


And for all those who do astronomy outreach, ya gotta listen to Dr. Heidi Hammel's presentation towards the end of the
STS-125 - Hubble Space Telescope Science Overview Briefing Part 1
http://www.space-multimedia.nl.eu.org/vide...25/replay27.php

Really good....

Enjoy

Craig

GAO reports on HST servicing, doesn't this fall under the category of politics and manned flight

Per Doug:



Sorry folks. This one is closed too.