Comments on: Hubble NICMOS Instrument Experiences Anomaly

By: Ayti

Ayti — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 05:44:25 +0000

@Don Alexander:

Take note, I asked two questions – neither one rhetorical.

A shuttle launch costs more than $500 million. A servicing mission adds significant money to that.

Two shuttles are ready for this mission adding $100 million – assuming they don't need the second for a rescue mission.

My cost-benefit analysis is just fine – it raises questions and draws no rash conclusions.

You've ignored my serious questions and placed idiotic words in my mouth – that's an ad hominem.

You conclude that the a serviced Hubble will obviate the loss of NICMOS – You assume a great deal. Like a gambler playing with house money.

By: DrNecropolis

DrNecropolis — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:28:50 +0000

Had to wait for the cooling unit to heat up? It's not everyday I hear that one. I know what it means, it just sounds pretty funny

By: Don Alexander

Don Alexander — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:56:54 +0000

@Ayti: Your cost-benefit analysis seems slightly out of balance here. "Oh, NICMOS may be broken – let's leave the shuttle on the ground and build a new space telescope from scratch instead!" Actually, WFC3, a new instrument that the Servicing Mission 4 will install, will be much more powerful than NICMOS in the NIR.

@Leon, Jon Hanford: "We told them to use Linux, but nooo, they wanted Goggle Chrome…"

Finally, I will not that this comes at an extremely inopportune time, seeing that NICMOS could have been used to observe GRB 080913, the new most distant ever GRB…

By: Jon Hanford

Jon Hanford — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:36:09 +0000

Yeah, sounds like a problem with SP1.

By: Leon

Leon — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:57:37 +0000

Did they try and uninstall Vista?

By: Ayti

Ayti — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 12:05:47 +0000

Obvious question: Does it make sense to service the Hubble if NICMOS is not operational?

Considering the costs and risks, would it make more sense to build a new, better telescope – perhaps one designed for regular robotic servicing missions?