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Launch costs are not the dominant cost of building space telescopes, which are ~10x more expensive than equivalent ground-based systems (when they exist). Grou
by gammarator 7y ago
Launch costs are not the dominant cost of building space telescopes, which are ~10x more expensive than equivalent ground-based systems (when they exist).
Ground-based telescopes built in the 1940s are still being used for cutting-edge science today because it's simple and cheap to upgrade their instruments. That's not possible in space--when JWST runs out of propellant, it becomes just a $10B piece of space junk.
- SubiculumCode 7y agoMoon based telescopes then. Let's do it!
- ISL 7y agoPutting a person on the moon cost a significant fraction of the US GDP. The tax burden required to move Earth's level of free dark-sky accessibility to space (step outside at night, buy binoculars, a Celestron, or LSST, and just look up) would be crippling for any nation.
- SubiculumCode 7y agoBut think of the return on the investment of cool.