NASA gets two hubbles

[RichyBoy]

US government has a space program that isn't NASA-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-scie...

I wonder why they're not needed anymore.

[davepoth]

RichyBoy said:

US government has a space program that isn't NASA-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-scie...

I wonder why they're not needed anymore.

They've got something better; presumably the X-37B is lofting a sensor package that knocks these into a cocked hat.

[Eric Mc]

The US has had two space programmes since 1958.

[Eric Mc]

The size of the Space Shuttle cargo bay was determined by their requirement to carry these Keyhole satellites. In the end, the Shuttle never carried one in its payload bay.

[russ_a]

I would love to know what the military actually has in space if they are giving these away.

[Eric Mc]

Much the same. only better and more up to date.

The US military space budget has been bigger than NASA's for over 40 years.

[Eric Mc]

Military will always get the budget over science.

That's the way of the world, sadly.

[anonymous-user]

Can't they give one to google or apple and we can get some more recent and better resolution google earth/maps pictures?

[MOTORVATOR]

el stovey said:

Can't they give one to google or apple and we can get some more recent and better resolution google earth/maps pictures?

Isn't all the high res stuff aerial photography rather than satellite?

[Silent1]

MOTORVATOR said:

el stovey said:

Can't they give one to google or apple and we can get some more recent and better resolution google earth/maps pictures?

Isn't all the high res stuff aerial photography rather than satellite?

[Eric Mc]

'm sure they could find a use for them - if they had the money.

[annodomini2]

Bedazzled said:

According to Wiki each KH-11 spy-sat costs about the same as an aircraft carrier and they managed to get through $25 billion on its replacement Future Imagery Architecture (FIA), before it was canned. God knows how much they are spending on the new generation. Apparently a 2.4m mirror can resolve surface details to around 6" but what a waste; just to snoop on a few training camps in the desert.

Given the '60s ones could resolve to 3", why go backwards?

[annodomini2]

These have no instruments, which is the expensive part.

NASA doesn't have the budget to launch all of it's existing programs, let alone more Hubble's.

[Eric Mc]

h would probably work best doing what they were designed to do - look down at the earth. There could be some sort of earth resources or earth mapping uses they could be allocated to but with no underlying funding or programme in place I'd assume they will end up in a museum or being scrapped.

[annodomini2]

Unfortunately I'd agree with Eric, with JWST struggling to get off the ground, these stand no chance of being used.

Additionally, with the Science and Popular demands, 2.4m mirror just isn't big enough any more.

[davepoth]

annodomini2 said:

Unfortunately I'd agree with Eric, with JWST struggling to get off the ground, these stand no chance of being used.

Additionally, with the Science and Popular demands, 2.4m mirror just isn't big enough any more.

Two of them a distance apart does mean they can do some rather funky science with them though.

[Odie]

davepoth said:

annodomini2 said:

Unfortunately I'd agree with Eric, with JWST struggling to get off the ground, these stand no chance of being used.

Additionally, with the Science and Popular demands, 2.4m mirror just isn't big enough any more.

Two of them a distance apart does mean they can do some rather funky science with them though.

3d Photo maping?

[Eric Mc]

To paraphrase Jaws - I think we're goin' to need a bigger rocket.

I don't think there's a big enough booster to send a payload of that weight to any of the planets. Not yet anyway.

[annodomini2]

davepoth said:

annodomini2 said:

Unfortunately I'd agree with Eric, with JWST struggling to get off the ground, these stand no chance of being used.

Additionally, with the Science and Popular demands, 2.4m mirror just isn't big enough any more.

Two of them a distance apart does mean they can do some rather funky science with them though.

I think this only works with radio not optics, although would love to be proven wrong though.

[spikeyhead]

annodomini2 said:

davepoth said:

annodomini2 said:

Unfortunately I'd agree with Eric, with JWST struggling to get off the ground, these stand no chance of being used.

Additionally, with the Science and Popular demands, 2.4m mirror just isn't big enough any more.

Two of them a distance apart does mean they can do some rather funky science with them though.

I think this only works with radio not optics, although would love to be proven wrong though.

It's possible to enhance resolution with optics, just as it is with radio waves. They're both part of the EM spectrum.