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Coffee House => Coffee House Boards => CH / Science and Technology => Topic started by: blobrana on August 07, 2004, 02:34:03 PM

Title: Hubble RIP.
Post by: blobrana on August 07, 2004, 02:34:03 PM
hum,
the Hubble Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) suspended after suffering a failed command echo check between the Control Section of the STIS Main Electronics Box (MEB) and the Multi-Anode Micro-channel Array (MAMA) Control Electronics .
"Accordingly, it is now believed that STIS’s mechanism functions are inoperable and unrecoverable. Because STIS has been single-string in its electronics since May 2001, it can no longer be used for science observations."

This vital instrument, however, remains in Suspend mode, and some imaging can still be done with the remaining instruments.
Title: Re: Hubble RIP.
Post by: T_Bone on August 07, 2004, 04:37:08 PM
That thing's been a constant embarassment from the time it's been put into use, from the rat and bat hairs in the lens to the metric/standard fiasco... we should shoot it out of the sky and try it again from start to finish, start from scratch.

yea, it'll cost a bit, but I think it's more productive than alot of the other crap in the space program.
Title: Re: Hubble RIP.
Post by: cecilia on August 07, 2004, 05:23:39 PM
have a little respect. it has created some incredible images.
Title: Re: Hubble RIP.
Post by: QuikSanz on August 07, 2004, 05:29:46 PM
@ cecilia,

I second that notion.

Chris
Title: Re: Hubble RIP.
Post by: KennyR on August 07, 2004, 05:35:43 PM
Bring the whole thing down and build an even bigger one, a huge array of telescopic mirrors and lenses. It'll only cost about 500 billion dollars or so. You may think that's a lot, but it's nothing if we stop fighting feckin' useless wars. The price of the Iraq war would build a pretty good telescope, and the taxpayers wouldn't even notice. Apart from the dumb ones who only think taxes aren't wasted if they're spent on goosestepping morons and bombs.
Title: Re: Hubble RIP.
Post by: Speelgoedmannetje on August 07, 2004, 06:39:36 PM
Quote

T_Bone wrote:
That thing's been a constant embarassment from the time it's been put into use, from the rat and bat hairs in the lens to the metric/standard fiasco... we should shoot it out of the sky and try it again from start to finish, start from scratch.

yea, it'll cost a bit, but I think it's more productive than alot of the other crap in the space program.
Well, it didn't cost as much as the Star Wars program
Think that guy in charge who wanted that to be realised has been acting in movies way too long.
Title: Re: Hubble RIP.
Post by: T_Bone on August 08, 2004, 01:22:44 AM
Quote

KennyR wrote:
Bring the whole thing down and build an even bigger one, a huge array of telescopic mirrors and lenses.


grunt grunt yea baby!

I remember at the time they planned the original Hubble, they were cutting features out all over the place trying to cut costs, but hell, if you're not going to get as much possible use out of the project as you concievably can, why spend the money launching it in the first place?

Meanwhile, once hubble was finally past all the original design mistakes and in operation, it was horribly mismanaged and gyroscopes wern't maintained, even though when designed they were well aware of the service life of the gyroscopes. They even ignored opportunities to replace the gyro's when they were there servicing other things anyway! From 1997-2000, a gyroscope has failed every year, and all were already at the end of their service life in 1997, when they could have easily been replaced.

Nasa built a car that should have been recalled, never changed the oil, fixed the radiator with duct tape, and ran it into the ground. Some of this was due to an economy car budget, some was due to incompetance, whatever the reasons, we need a new car.

If we're being watched by intelligent life somewhere, we've probably been labeled as galactic rednecks.
Title: Re: Hubble RIP.
Post by: T_Bone on August 08, 2004, 01:31:17 AM
Quote

cecilia wrote:
have a little respect. it has created some incredible images.


Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

It wouldn't be fair to be too respectfull of this mismanaged project, after all, it wouldn't be fair to all those who are actually deserving and have earned respect.

The sad part is, mismanagement makes it even harder to convince the public to pay for future projects, and those who could have earned our respect may not get the chance to, as a result.
Title: Re: Hubble RIP.
Post by: T_Bone on August 08, 2004, 01:34:28 AM
Quote

Speelgoedmannetje wrote:

Think that guy in charge who wanted that to be realised has been acting in movies way too long.


I agree, Reagan should have been president for more than 8 years, and spent less time as an actor. He realised his genius too late in life. :-D
Title: Re: Hubble RIP.
Post by: Cyberus on August 08, 2004, 02:07:43 AM
Quote

KennyR wrote:
 The price of the Iraq war would build a pretty good telescope, and the taxpayers wouldn't even notice. Apart from the dumb ones who only think taxes aren't wasted if they're spent on goosestepping morons and bombs.


:lol:
Title: Re: Hubble RIP.
Post by: Cyberus on August 08, 2004, 02:14:31 AM
Taking't completely off-topic, Hubble-rip sounds as if it should be the name of a dance or summat.

!Do the Hubble-rip! :banana:
Title: Re: Hubble Hobble.
Post by: blobrana on August 08, 2004, 02:29:26 AM
Hum,
 :-)

Sounds illegal anyway..
Title: Re: Hubble RIP.
Post by: Speelgoedmannetje on August 08, 2004, 05:28:21 AM
Quote

T_Bone wrote:
Quote

Speelgoedmannetje wrote:

Think that guy in charge who wanted that to be realised has been acting in movies way too long.


I agree, Reagan should have been president for more than 8 years, and spent less time as an actor. He realised his genius too late in life. :-D
:lol:
touché

I do not got a witticism ready for that (well, atm that is)
Title: Re: Hubble RIP.
Post by: Karlos on August 08, 2004, 02:45:34 PM
Quote

Cyberus wrote:
Taking't completely off-topic, Hubble-rip sounds as if it should be the name of a dance or summat.

!Do the Hubble-rip! :banana:


To the music of that terrible 1980's "Shake 'n Vac" advert?
Title: Re: Hubble RIP.
Post by: Turambar on August 11, 2004, 11:00:49 PM
Seems that they are going to fix the thing, read more here (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/08/11/nasa_saves_hubble/).

Seems like a waste of money to me, surely they can build a considerably better one now?
Title: Re: Hubble RIP.
Post by: Cyberus on August 11, 2004, 11:18:39 PM
Quote

Karlos wrote:
Quote

Cyberus wrote:
Taking't completely off-topic, Hubble-rip sounds as if it should be the name of a dance or summat.

!Do the Hubble-rip! :banana:


To the music of that terrible 1980's "Shake 'n Vac" advert?


:-)

I was thinking more the 'Do the Bartman' music.

But now I've got the Shake n' Vac jingle stuck in my head....gaaaah! :lol:
Title: Re: Hubble Hobble.
Post by: Cyberus on August 12, 2004, 07:46:43 AM
Quote

blobrana wrote:
Hum,
 :-)

Sounds illegal anyway..


An illegal rave with loads of dancing :banana:, how tripped out would that be?
Title: Re: Hubble RIP.
Post by: redrumloa on August 12, 2004, 08:40:09 PM
Quote
Bring the whole thing down and build an even bigger one


This sounds like a job for the EU!

But seriously, looking at white dots does little for me. I'd say the money would be better spent sending man to Mars within our lifetime.
Title: Re: Hubble RIP.
Post by: KennyR on August 12, 2004, 09:08:45 PM
Quote
redrumloa wrote:
This sounds like a job for the EU!


Well, why not? It's unfair to let the US taxpayer bear the burden of all of space exploration. Let the EU and the ESA pay for half, or get China and Russia in on the deal as well. The acumen would be new materials and devices invented while exploiting space.
Title: Re: Hubble RIP.
Post by: blobrana on August 13, 2004, 12:38:12 AM
hum,
5, 4, 3, 2, 1, EU are go! (as well as nasa and csa)

Next Generation Space Telescope (http://www.rssd.esa.int/SA-general/Projects/NGST/)