Chimpy sends science down the crapper again...

[Rosco T.]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6853009/

White House cuts Hubble fix-up funds
NASA told to focus on destroying telescope safely

WASHINGTON - The White House has eliminated funding for a mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope from its 2006 budget request and directed NASA to focus solely on deorbiting the popular spacecraft at the end of its life, according to government and industry sources.

NASA is debating when and how to announce the change of plans. Sources told Space News that outgoing NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe likely will make the announcement Feb. 7 during the public presentation of the space agency’s 2006 budget request.

That budget request, according to government and industry sources, will not include any money for Hubble servicing but will include some money for a mission to attach a propulsion module to Hubble needed to deorbit the spacecraft safely with a controlled re-entry into the Pacific Ocean. NASA would not need to launch such a mission before the end of the decade to guide the massive telescope safely into the ocean.

Sources said O’Keefe received his marching orders on Hubble Jan. 13 during a meeting with White House officials to finalize the agency’s 2006 budget request. With both robotic and shuttle-based servicing options expected to cost well in excess of $1 billion, sources said, NASA was told it simply could not afford to save Hubble given everything else NASA has on its agenda, including preparing the shuttle fleet to fly again.

(link for more)

[Ezlivin]

1. We can build better telescopes than the Hubble on the ground now

Advances in technology have made it possible to build a ground-based telescope that greatly exceeds the Hubble Space Telescope in many aspects.

The HST was great when it finally launched and after it had corrective optics added, but its time has passed.