The Discovery Space Shuttle launched the telescope Hubble into orbit in the year 1990. This telescope which is one of the largest and famous all over the world is named after Edwin Hubble, a well know n astronomer from America. This telescope is extremely versatile and is an excellent research tool true to the purpose for which it was launched. Apart from the functional aspect, the Hubble also serves as a fantastic advertisement for the European Space Agency and NASA.
Hubble has been serving most loyally for the past 20 years overcoming quite a few repairs. The mirror, one of the most components of the Hubble was fixed during a repair mission in the year 1993. Apart from the mirror, this mission even assessed and replaced quite a few other parts including a spectrograph, a malfunctioning camera, gyroscopes, electrical failures, batteries, etc.
A series of repair missions followed and the fifth mission was scheduled for October 2008. However, the month of September saw another important component in the Hubble breaking down. In order to plan for more number of repairs in a single mission to cut costs of space trips, the mission was postponed to early 2009.
The ongoing economic crisis in America has skeptics questioning whether the high cost of repairs and maintenance is worth the achievements of the Hubble. Skeptics have also hinted at developing a new and advanced telescope to replace the Hubble. With another malfunction detected and the mission likely to be further postponed, it is time to take a call.
