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Off Topic => Ten Forward => Topic started by: Nemesis on October 23, 2004, 10:18:04 am

Title: Hubble deorbiting would leave 755 mile long debris field. A reason to save it?
Post by: Nemesis on October 23, 2004, 10:18:04 am

Link to full Story (http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/hst_safety_041021.html)

Quote

If NASA?s Hubble Space Telescope (HST) fireballs into Earth?s atmosphere on its own, the reentry of that massive orbiting observatory violates the space agency?s own safety standard.

....

At least two tons (2,055 kilograms) of the estimated 26,000 pounds (11,792 kilograms) of the observatory would survive the fiery fall. Such a tumble would create a debris footprint stretching over 755 miles (1,220 kilometers) in length.

But not until 2020.

Title: Re: Hubble deorbiting would leave 755 mile long debris field. A reason to save it?
Post by: Just plain old Punisher on October 23, 2004, 02:54:21 pm

Average usefull span of a spacecraft is around 6-8 years...besides we'll have better sensors available in a smaller package well before 2020. Would be a good idea to replace it. As far as the disposal is concerned...attach a payload assist rocket to the sucker and do a steep reentry burn. If there's anything left, which I doubt =), then make it splashdown in the middle of the ocean.

Title: Re: Hubble deorbiting would leave 755 mile long debris field. A reason to save it?
Post by: Holocat on October 23, 2004, 04:52:52 pm

Dammit, we only just got that thing working.

Well, okay.  You, not we.  We built arms, and um... stuff, though.