Comments on: How come they can’t bring the Hubble Space Telescope down and repair it?

By: Poo Poo

Poo Poo — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 08:57:33 +0000

they should have run a tether from the hubble to earth, and they could have simply reeled it in to fix it, and afterwards let it go back up

lack of foresight, it would seem

By: Nate

Nate — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:33:29 +0000

Costs would be as astronomical as the pictures it takes.
The cost to retrieve something that delicate and large would be far greater than the cost of a typical pair of launches and landings. It would probably have to be disassembled and sent back in large pieces, since I believe that is how it was constructed - as a series of major subassemblies.

By: campbelp2002

campbelp2002 — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:51:40 +0000

Are you aware that they already repaired it in May, 2009? They decided it was worth the cost and risk after all.

Hubble was designed to be serviced in space. And the shuttle cargo bay makes a perfect garage, with a robot arm to hold the Hubble and all the tools needed.

And as others said, bringing it down to repair it would take two shuttle flights, one to bring it down and and another to put it back in orbit. That is twice the cost and twice the risk of one flight.

By: Brack_871

Brack_871 — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 01:06:26 +0000

It is much more than just an issue of just costs. Logistics would be practically impossible. The Hubble is very large. In order to “bring it down” Astronauts would have to disassemble it. It would take several missions with space walks that would be very difficult. People don’t understand that a space walk is the most difficult task that astronauts undertake. Unfortunately when the Hubble comes down, it is going to have to be through the atmosphere.

By: mcdonaldcj

mcdonaldcj — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 06:53:56 +0000

there is technically nothing preventing NASA from bringing the telescope down to earth and repair it, then send it back up. however, it costs about $1.5 million US to launch a shuttle into orbit. to make two trips, one to bring the hubble down and the other to send it back up will cost NASA over $3 million US.

By: Kent

Kent — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 03:00:23 +0000

If we bring it down, fix it and then put it back up you risk more damage by moving it around. Rocket launches aren’t exactly smooth. Also, remember that Hubble is in zero G. That means that those huge lenses carry little weight, so the fixing may be easier in zero G. The Hubble might also not be able to support its own weight here on Earth anymore. I’m interested in the metallurgical changes to Hubbles’ outer hull for these years in orbit. The constant cold temperature, zero gravity and solar radiation could have affected Hubbles’ structural integrity.

You also may have some wiring and electronic components that could impacted by being brought back down too.

By: Tina L

Tina L — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 22:20:30 +0000

cost, and limited resources. the remaining shuttle flights are already fully committed.

the original plan was in fact to retrieve hubble and put it in the smithsonian. a shuttle can do this, though it is right at the limit for permissible landing weights. this would cost over half a billion dollars. do you want to pay for this?

hubble is 1970s technology with flawed optics. even if we did bring it back, it would be far more useful scintifically to build a new telescope and launch it. which is what we’re doing.

By: auspic

auspic — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 22:03:34 +0000

first of all,i am really sad to inform you that the documentary that you saw was old and hubble telescope is no more. It has already been destroyed by NASA this february.the reason for its destroyment were:-
1.it was not possible for Nasa to repair it in Space due to inpresence of gravitational force in space which is unsuitable for vital equipments to work in space.
2.It was so huge that it can’t be loaded on space shuttle and brought to earth.
3.reparing cost was so huge that it was unbearable.

By: Billy Butthead

Billy Butthead — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 10:20:12 +0000

Strictly cost.

By: !

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 02:32:37 +0000

There is no need to.

The Hubble telescope has recently been refurbished while sill in space. Astronauts went to it in the shuttle and replaced the worn out and broken parts. The result is that it is now better than it was when it was new.

Eventually parts will wear out again, but hopefully by that time, the new Ares rocket will be ready to support another repair mission.