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Don't let Hubble die

Saving the Hubble Space Telescope makes more sense than embarking on an expensive and undefined mission to the moon and Mars. The White House reportedly will cancel any Hubble rescue in an effort to sandbag money for a Mars mission later. This would be a loss to science and a misuse of money that could undermine public support for NASA.

The Hubble is a crowning achievement for mankind - an eye on deep space whose startling images have added to our knowledge of life and the universe. Beyond its scientific contribution, Hubble has popularized the study of space, giving new life to NASA's important mission in an era of tough budget priorities.

NASA scrapped a servicing mission last year, citing safety risks brought to light by the Columbia space shuttle disaster. In December, experts said a rescue could be mounted without undue risks to shuttle astronauts. The observatory, the size of a flatbed truck, orbiting 375 miles above Earth, could die by 2007 without fresh batteries and gyroscopes.

Scrapping a mission to the Hubble because of safety while pursuing missions to the moon and Mars would give NASA a credibility gap at the same time the agency would need billions of additional dollars to further the manned space program. Hubble's deep and detailed views of the universe have brought into our homes distant galaxies. If pursuing this frontier, which gives all humankind a window seat, is not a priority for the world's premier space agency, then what is?

[Last modified January 28, 2005, 00:21:17]