For anyone not following the space industry, NASA's pretty much decided not to send any more manned missions to service the Hubble telescope. They claim it's for astronaut safety, but it's largely economic, as well. Anyway, with no service, the telescopes batteries will run out in 2007, rendering it a useless pile of orbiting junk. Hubble's replacement, the James Webb Space Telescope, won't be launched until 2011. While it's more powerful as a whole, there are a few things that Hubble can do that it won't be able to, like seeing across visible, ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths at the same time.
Many scientists think that it's a waste to just abandon Hubble, so NASA has accepted proposals to service it robotically. A robot developed by UMD's Space Systems Lab was included in two of the 26 proposals submitted to NASA. The director of the lab, Dave Akin, just happened to be the mentor for Chad and my's Gemstone group, plus we spent a lot of time in the lab for the human powered sub class.
Anyway, just thought I'd mention it since it relates to Maryland.
Why do you know more about NASA than me - and I work here?!?!!
Posted by: Chad at March 31, 2004 09:31 AMFor the record, I voted for Fatboy in the nerd power rankings.
Posted by: John at March 31, 2004 09:40 AMNerd rankings next week...Fatboy is doing well.
"Vote Quimby"
Posted by: Pat at March 31, 2004 10:19 AM