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When we did need it, we -needed- it. Hubble for example.
by icegreentea 15y ago
When we did need it, we -needed- it. Hubble for example.
- nate_meurer 15y agoPerhaps, but Hubble's not a good example. As a visible-spectrum scope, there was no reason it really needed to be in orbit. Its resolution advantage was fairly quickly exceeded by earth-base scopes with much lower cost and much better longevity. In other words, keeping visible-spectrum telescopes on earth gives us a better return on our investment.
- rbanffy 15y agoI'm sorry. I was not aware the Hubble launch and repair missions required a winged vehicle.
- nate_meurer 15y agoWait, I'm sorry, I see what you mean. You're right; manned shuttle missions were the only way to keep Hubble from going to waste.
- hugh3 15y agoPerhaps, but what's the cost of "fuck it, we'll just build a replacement Hubble" in Shuttle mission equivalents?