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Is it likely that in 20 years we will be able to send a resupply mission or it will be easier to send a new observatory with better instruments?
by gostsamo 5y ago
Is it likely that in 20 years we will be able to send a resupply mission or it will be easier to send a new observatory with better instruments?
- plazmatic 5y ago
- JaimeThompson 5y agoAssuming that things like Starship work then launching larger scientific instruments will be much easier as will refueling them. A considerable portion of the cost and risk comes from getting the mass and physical size down so we can launch them.
- gostsamo 5y agoI get that part. The interesting part is if building a new instrument will be marginally more useful than resupplying the current one. A few years back there was a demonstration of an orbital vehicle for refueling satellites. So, which is better: spending a few more billions for capturing a few more frequencies of infrared light or spending a few hundred millions for extending the life of the current mission.
- JaimeThompson 5y agoBy current mission do you mean Hubble?
- gostsamo 5y agoNo, James Webb.
- fredoralive 5y agoIt isn't designed to be serviceable, so replacement is presumably the way to go. https://webb.nasa.gov/content/about/faqs/faq.html#serviceable https://webb.nasa.gov/content/about/faqs/faq.html#serviceabl...
- tedivm 5y agoThe issue is fuel though. NASA has talked about the possibility of using a small robot to refuel it, but said that they don't have current plans to do so. Servicing it (making repairs, upgrading, changing things) would probably be too expensive but refueling is definitely worth considering.