Hubble's main camera shuts down

[Fat Tone]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6312091.stm

The main camera on the Hubble space telescope has shut down after an electrical failure, Nasa has said.
Astronomers are calling the malfunction of the Advanced Camera for Surveys a "great loss" as it has taken the clearest pictures yet of the universe.

Scientists for the US space agency said only one-third of the camera's capabilities are likely to be restored.

[Dr Mordrid]

Said it once & I'll say it again; it had its day, but now it's more expensive to fix than to replace, not to mention risking 7 astronauts.

[Jammrock]

Said it once & I'll say it again; it had its day, but now it's more expensive to fix than to replace, not to mention risking 7 astronauts.

I agree. We need to put a better bird in the sky and let the Hubble die an honorable death.

[Dr Mordrid]

What's needed is a smaller modular telescope; a standard basic structure to which you could attach whatever solar panels, optics & circuit boxes are required for the mission.

This would make them far cheaper and allow several to be up at once for doing interferometry. Interferometry lets an array of small telescopes act as a much larger one.

One dies & you stick another on an Atlas & up it goes.

They're trying this with rovers, so why not?