| Astronauts who have literally risked their lives working on the Hubble Space Telescope are dismayed and confused over the decision of NASA to shut down the observatory. While the decision to shut down the Hubble is not final as of this time, there seems little chance that the plans to close it down will change. "This was the logical conclusion about the Telescope future, given the technology involved and financial constraints we carry," said Sean O'Keefe, NASA administrator, who believes that it is too dangerous to service the Hubble in light of the Columbia disaster. The shutting down of the Hubble means a premature ending to the observatory who recently broadcast the deepest ever peak at the universe, images of galaxies - via Hubble.com - dating back to the time of creation.
Space telescopes:
• Astron – Space UV telescope (USSR);
• Hubble - Space reflector telescope (USA);
• Swift – Space observatory for observing cosmic gamma-ray bursts (USA, Italy, United Kingdom). |
