Space Shuttle and Hubble

[RichP]

Seems to me if the hubble is in such a high space trash garbage zone, that they have now captured it and pulled into the bay to work on it, why the heck don't they just point the nose of the shuttle up and take it a few hundred miles further out and park it in a more clear area. Seems like a no brainer to me...

 

[Coastie]

I think they put it there in the LEO because of observing reasons and the added benefit of servicing ease.

 

[WB9YZU]

I don't think it's worth the effort to try and second guess the folks running this project. They have lots of time and money invested in this project, and if they decided to leave it right where it is, there must be a good reason for it.

I'm just happy they didn't lay down and call it quits after finding out if was out of focus after they launched it. The pictues that thing has been taking over these 2 decades are awsome!

 

[RichP]

I think they put it there in the LEO because of observing reasons and the added benefit of servicing ease.

I would think if you wanted servicing ease they would have parked it near the space station. I just never looked at what kind of orbit they wanted it in, at a lagrange point or a geosync.

 

[WB9YZU]

Not geosync.

Did you look at their website? It's very informative.

 

[XJEEPER]

Pretty pictures with a really nice camera.

Benefit to mankind? ROI?

 

[JNickel101]

....oh come on, you know all of those pictures are a hoax, just like dinosaurs!

:roflmao:

 

[Coastie]

I would think if you wanted servicing ease they would have parked it near the space station. I just never looked at what kind of orbit they wanted it in, at a lagrange point or a geosync.

The ISS wasen't in orbit in 1990. MIR orbited at 207mi and Hubble orbits at 343mi. The ISS orbits at 220mi. Also Hubble orbits at 7,500m/s while ISS orbits at 7,700m/s with the ISS making a complete orbit in 90 minutes with Hubble in 97 minutes.

 

[Patriot4x4]

Seems to me if the hubble is in such a high space trash garbage zone, that they have now captured it and pulled into the bay to work on it, why the heck don't they just point the nose of the shuttle up and take it a few hundred miles further out and park it in a more clear area. Seems like a no brainer to me...

its a tad more complicated than that and the shuttle can't really go very high.

best place for a telescope would be on the dark side of the moon...

 

[tbburg]

why the heck don't they just point the nose of the shuttle up and take it a few hundred miles further out and park it in a more clear area. Seems like a no brainer to me...

its a tad more complicated than that and the shuttle can't really go very high.

Orbital mechanics! FUN! If you want to get into a higher orbit, you point the nose FORWARD and burn. If you point the nose up, you go backwards,...
Besides the physics, while the shuttle has orbital maneuvering engines, they pack just enough oomph to knock it out of orbit. To get into a substantially higher orbit, they need to plan it from launch by carrying more fuel(all the shuttles main engine fuel is external) and/or bigger boosters. Once they get going, they can't slow down to catch the telescope on they way by.

'Doesn't seem like it, but the easiest way to get the Hubble into a higher orbit would be to take a booster rocket up to it. Unfortunately, it would probably be cheaper to build a new telescope.

 

[Coastie]

Here is the shuttle Atlantis making it's approach towards Hubble, taken from south Florida.

http://www.spaceweather.com/swpod20...ult1.jpg?PHPSESSID=6p73l4jallikugb0697m803ev6

 

[5-90]

Dumb idea - why not just start trying to clean up the orbit areas?

Litterbugs.

Yes, I'm being sarcastic - but only just. Seems there's an awful lot of "space trash" floating about up there - and they're cranky about litter down here...

 

[redneckboarder]

Here is the shuttle Atlantis making it's approach towards Hubble, taken from south Florida.

http://www.spaceweather.com/swpod20...ult1.jpg?PHPSESSID=6p73l4jallikugb0697m803ev6

am i missing something...it looks like a yellow circle

 

[Coastie]

am i missing something...it looks like a yellow circle

Maximize the photo and look near the bottom left corner.

 

[RichP]

Dumb idea - why not just start trying to clean up the orbit areas?

Litterbugs.

Yes, I'm being sarcastic - but only just. Seems there's an awful lot of "space trash" floating about up there - and they're cranky about litter down here...

There are actually people trying to figure out how to do just that.

 

[CherBear]

I thought the Shuttle only operated at LEO?

 

[Ecomike]

Benefit to mankind? ROI?

I seem to recall naysayers asking that same silly question about the early space program, and making statements like "if man was meant to fly, God would have given him wings".

 

[5-90]

I seem to recall naysayers asking that same silly question about the early space program, and making statements like "if man was meant to fly, God would have given him wings".

Correct.

Had we not been in an effective haitus for the last few dozen years, we'd see a lot more coming back than we are right now...