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I would think that a cheaper (or multiple cheaper) versions could be made if they don't require the long lifespan and reliability that previous launch costs inf

I would think that a cheaper (or multiple cheaper) versions could be made if they don't require the long lifespan and reliability that previous launch costs inflicted. Once Starship is going, and if it proves to be as low cost as the current projections, I could see multiple space telescopes being designed cheaply for a launch every year, each one designed in a narrow configuration that serves a specific purpose. But I really don't know what all goes into making a space telescope so expensive currently.

phkahler 5y ago
>> But I really don't know what all goes into making a space telescope so expensive currently. I think you already said it. The long life (high reliability) requirement, and I'll add the complexity of having it unfold. Both of those become non-issues if you build the telescope right into a space-X starship. There may be other issues with that, but the mirror wouldn't need to fold ;-)
- bumby 5y ago
  Are you speaking to the reliability of the launch vehicle or of the satellite? The launch itself is typically not a primary cost driver of a satellite mission. Complexity may be, due to constraints of the fairings but the manufacturing and quality checks drive quite a bit of the cost
  - ckozlowski 5y ago
    I think they mean reliability of the satellite. The JWST is going to be parked at a Lagrange point that's going to put it out of reach of most everything. At the time it was conceived, robotic servicing was even further off. A crewed mission was right out. Costs went far up in part because unlike Hubble, servicing was going to be virtually impossible.
    - anticensor 5y ago
      Starship has a sufficient delta-v to service it.
      - qubitcoder 5y ago
        Yes, but Starship is a prototype at the moment. And it'd require the Super Heavy to even reach orbit, which will soon begin testing [0]. Additionally, the engineering requirements for long-term life support are significantly more involved than the Dragon capsule. There's also the testing and certification process for crewed-missions; in non-Elon time, this is likely several years, conservatively speaking [1]. (I'd love to be proven wrong, however!). [0] https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-super-heavy-booster-rollout-video https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-super-heavy-booster-ro... [1] https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/04/five-reasons-why-nasas-starship-award-is-a-watershed-moment-in-spaceflight/ https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/04/five-reasons-why-nas...

phkahler 5y ago

>> But I really don't know what all goes into making a space telescope so expensive currently. I think you already said it. The long life (high reliability) requirement, and I'll add the complexity of having it unfold. Both of those become non-issues if you build the telescope right into a space-X starship. There may be other issues with that, but the mirror wouldn't need to fold ;-)

bumby 5y ago
Are you speaking to the reliability of the launch vehicle or of the satellite? The launch itself is typically not a primary cost driver of a satellite mission. Complexity may be, due to constraints of the fairings but the manufacturing and quality checks drive quite a bit of the cost
- ckozlowski 5y ago
  I think they mean reliability of the satellite. The JWST is going to be parked at a Lagrange point that's going to put it out of reach of most everything. At the time it was conceived, robotic servicing was even further off. A crewed mission was right out. Costs went far up in part because unlike Hubble, servicing was going to be virtually impossible.
  - anticensor 5y ago
    Starship has a sufficient delta-v to service it.
    - qubitcoder 5y ago
      Yes, but Starship is a prototype at the moment. And it'd require the Super Heavy to even reach orbit, which will soon begin testing [0]. Additionally, the engineering requirements for long-term life support are significantly more involved than the Dragon capsule. There's also the testing and certification process for crewed-missions; in non-Elon time, this is likely several years, conservatively speaking [1]. (I'd love to be proven wrong, however!). [0] https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-super-heavy-booster-rollout-video https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-super-heavy-booster-ro... [1] https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/04/five-reasons-why-nasas-starship-award-is-a-watershed-moment-in-spaceflight/ https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/04/five-reasons-why-nas...