NASA Weighs Robot Mission to Telescope

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http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/02/science/02nasa.html

NASA Weighs Robot Mission to Telescope
By KENNETH CHANG
Published: June 2, 2004

ENVER, June 1 - Four and a half months after he seemed to doom the Hubble Space Telescope by ending maintenance missions by the space shuttle, NASA's administrator, Sean O'Keefe, brought brighter news to astronomers on Tuesday by announcing that NASA was seeking proposals for a robotic mission to extend Hubble's life.

The decision is a compromise between Hubble supporters who would like Mr. O'Keefe to reinstate the shuttle mission and the initial prospect that an otherwise still useful telescope would be left to die for want of a few parts. Left alone, the telescope will be able to operate for about three more years before the failure of gyroscopes would render it unable to point at the stars.

In a speech to scientists at a meeting here of the American Astronomical Society, Mr. O'Keefe stood firm in his decision to cancel the shuttle mission, but said: "Fortunately, there may be other options for extending the Hubble's useful work. Good options that are looking more promising as we've examined them more closely. Our confidence is growing that robots can do the job."

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