Proficiency number 2

By: Brady Donnelly

The Hubble telescope has been taking pictures of the universe for 20 years! This massive camera has been getting pictures that are the most amazing thing to see. And NASA still has it out there taking pictures that are just hard to believe. So many questions are asked, how is this massive 24,500 pound camera powered? Well, it's energy source is the sun, it has two 25 foot solar panels, and uses about 2,800 watts.

NASA has only launched it once on april 25, 1990. The reason it has not come down is because it costs 1.5 billion dollars to launch. And all they do is send astronauts up for repair missions and to get the photos. The last visit to it was in may of 2009 for repairs. If the Hubble telescope was not in space, we would have no idea about some of the amazing things that are in the sky. Some people believe that it is not worth the risk and money to send the astronauts up there. But President Obama decided to fund NASA in a different way. Unfortunately due to other issues going on currently the NASA funding "project" is going to have to wait. It's hard for NASA now because its uncertain whether or not they will get the money they need.

NASA still needs to pay back what they owe from the previous year. One spokesman said "NASA is just dragging their feet, just as it has done the past 2 years under the Obama administration." This could be bad news for the Hubble telescope. Due to the large costs of repairs and to bring it back down, they might take it down and leave it down. They would like to send up the James Webb. It is a European product built by ESA. That way the U.S could get the pictures and see space and not have to pay so much.

So, the question is, is this the best idea for the U.S? I say no! The U.S is known for many things with NASA, for example the first to walk on the moon, Have some of the best satellites in the sky. But taking down Hubble would be a hard thing to do due to the great pictures it has taken. I think that in the future the United states will bring down the Hubble and send up the James Webb. Eventually you need the younger and better product. It is unfortunate because over the past 20 years the Hubble has taken the greatest pictures. The idea of the Hubble was to shoot something and space and hope for the best. Well they got exactly what they wanted, something that got amazing photos. In 1990 it was a big advancement for NASA and the U.S since Galileo telescope. NASA said "Our view on the universe and the place within will never be the same. What they said could not be more accurate on the amazing photos Hubble has taken.

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Hubble Space Telescope Photos And Pictures." India Tone. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2011. <http://www.indiatone.com/hubble-space-telescope-photos-and-pictures/>.

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HubbleSite - Out of the ordinary...out of this world.." HubbleSite - Out of the ordinary...out of this world.. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2011. <http://hubblesite.org/>.