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> major problems could be sorted out over the following years with manned repair missions, like they did with hubble Not anytime soon. The Hubble is in low-ear
by NobodyNada 5y ago
> major problems could be sorted out over the following years with manned repair missions, like they did with hubble
Not anytime soon. The Hubble is in low-earth orbit at an altitude of 540 Km, whereas JWST is at the Earth-Sun L2 point at an altitude range of 370 Mm to 1.5 Gm; further than the Moon. No spacecraft capable of carrying humans beyond LEO has been built since the Apollo missions.
Starship and SLS will change the game, but both are still years away from manned flights.
- retrac 5y agoEven then, it's quite possible a human mission beyond LEO to repair the JWST would end up costing more than just building a replacement telescope.