Nasa to ditch Hubble telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope will eventually become useless, as Nasa switches the focus to President George Bush's plans to send humans to the moon, Mars and beyond.
Nasa is cancelling all space shuttle servicing missions to the Hubble Space Telescope, a decision that, in effect, will kill off the powerful observatory.
John Grunsfeld, Nasa's chief scientist, said that Nasa administrator Sean O'Keefe made the decision to cancel the fifth space shuttle service mission to the Hubble when it became clear there was not enough time to conduct it before the shuttle was retired. The servicing mission was considered essential to enable the orbiting telescope to continue to operate.
"This is a sad day," said Grunsfeld, but he said the decision "is the best thing for the space community".
He said the decision was influenced by President Bush's new space initiative, which calls for Nasa to start developing the spacecraft and equipment for voyages to the moon and later to Mars.
The president's plan also called for the space shuttle to be retired by 2010. Virtually all of the shuttle's remaining flights would be used to complete construction of the International Space Station.
The shuttle has been grounded since the explosion of the Columbia nearly a year ago.
Grunsfeld said Bush "directed us to use this precious resource" (the shuttle) towards completing the International Space Station and fulfilling US obligations to the 15 partner nations. Without servicing missions, he said, the Hubble should continue operating until 2007 or 2008, "as long as we can".
The observatory has ailing gyroscopes which were to be replaced on the servicing mission, which already has been delayed by the Columbia accident. Grunsfeld said the Hubble had three good gyros and one that was not working well. Software was being developed to work with only two gyroscopes, he said, but the telescope will not have the same capabilities.
Servicing missions are required to the Hubble every few years to tune up the complex craft and to replace worn-out parts. Four times previously spacewalking astronauts have installed new parts or upgraded the observatory with new instruments.
