Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!zephyr!tektronix!psueea!parsely!bucket!leonard
From: leonard@bucket.UUCP (Leonard Erickson)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re^2: Hubble Space Telescope
Keywords: astronomical cost of maintenance
Message-ID: <1566@bucket.UUCP>
Date: 17 Jul 89 07:36:54 GMT
References: <351@aeras.UUCP> <2983@helios.ee.lbl.gov> <23692@prls.UUCP> <211@larry.sal.wisc.edu> <2998@helios.ee.lbl.gov>
Organization: Rick's Home-Grown UNIX; Portland, OR.
Lines: 23

envbvs@epb2.lbl.gov (Brian V. Smith) writes:

>According to several sources, the cost of storing the HST until 
>it can be launched is around $10 million PER MONTH.  It has been
>waiting since about 1985 or so to go up, so this amounts to 
>several hundred million dollars!

>Can anyone enlighten me as to why it costs so much just to STORE it?

I believe it has to be "stored" in a cleanroom. From the clothing
worn in photos, I'd guess it's a Class 100 cleanroom. Just running
the air circulation system on a large clean room is expensive! Add
in the filtration and temperature control and it gets *real*
expensive.

I'm sure there are other costs, but I work for a company that makes
silicon wafers. I am painfully aware of cleanrooms. (ever have to
clean a computer before installing it?)
-- 
Leonard Erickson		...!tektronix!reed!percival!bucket!leonard
CIS: [70465,203]
"I'm all in favor of keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of fools.
Let's start with typewriters." -- Solomon Short