Sometimes, but often not. Maintaining communications links and operations consumes resources too. If someone can find a solid science case for reusing the instr

Sometimes, but often not. Maintaining communications links and operations consumes resources too. If someone can find a solid science case for reusing the instrument, ideas get traction. Sometimes experiments get handed off as training tools for new aerospace students. When Gravity Probe B ran out of helium, control was transferred to the US Air Force Academy for navigation experiments [1] It's sad to see good experiments go, but with finite resources, sometimes the young must take precedence over the old. Edit: Looks like there are alternative repurposing plans, perhaps [2], but a bummer of a use for that mirror. [1] http://einstein.stanford.edu/content/faqs/faqs.html#sv_control http://einstein.stanford.edu/content/faqs/faqs.html#sv_contr... [2] http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1210/26herschel/#.UX_n7nGlf0o http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1210/26herschel/#.UX_n7n...