SCI/TECH: Help for Hubble: Officials Mull Donations, Russian Service Mission

After the Shuttle disaster, the International Space Station relies on the Russians, and now, the Hubble Space Telescope does too.

Hubble Space Telescope operators plan to ask Russia for help in keeping the observatory alive and will even consider accepting private donations, which have already been offered.

Every idea under the Sun will be considered for keeping the popular and scientifically valuable observatory operating even though NASA has decided to let it die.

"We're in the mode of pursuing every wacky concept out there," said Steven Beckwith, the director of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), which operates Hubble for NASA.

The stakes are high.

Read The Full Space.com article

You know, that's just sad.

The Hubble has been a spectacular, beloved instrument that has given us solid research data and some incredible views of the universe... but the government isn't interested enough to keep it funded.

What next -- sell it off to Russia???

Bah! (bummer)

I'd much rather they sell it off to Russia (hell, just donate it) than scrap the whole thing. It's done wonderful things for the scientific community, it's terrible to see it getting the death sentence when it's still extremely viable and productive.

And all in the name of Bush's pipe dream.

Update:

"NASA to Review Plan to Phase Out Hubble"
Link:
story.news.yahoo.com.../ap/20040129/ap_on_sc/hubble_plea

Also a site to help with Hubble:
www.savethehubble.com...


Personally, after reading the article...its a "more money" ploy by NASA.


regards
seekerof