Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcsun!ukc!harrier.ukc.ac.uk!sss3
From: sss3@ukc.ac.uk (S.S.Sturrock)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Recovering HST from orbit
Message-ID: <6814@harrier.ukc.ac.uk>
Date: 6 Feb 91 10:55:29 GMT
Reply-To: sss3@ukc.ac.uk (S.S.Sturrock)
Organization: Computing Lab, University of Kent at Canterbury, UK.
Lines: 18

Hi chaps,

This week on BBC2 there was a Horizon programme about the HST titled "A small
problem with the mirror".  There was a discussion about how to correct the
problem.  The eventual method decided on was to remove one of the four
experiment pods from behind the mirror and replace it with a correcting
set of mirrors.

While this seems to be a cost effective method, I was wondering if there were
some other reason why the HST was not just recovered and the mirror replaced.
Is it because the Shuttle would not be able to land safely with the added
weight, or maybe it could land but would be so damaged that it could not
be re-used?

Thanks in advance.


Shane Sturrock, Biol Lab.  Canterbury, Kent, Great Britain.