NASA Unveils Hubble's Successor

dalutong writes "BBC News has an article detailing NASA's replacement for the much-loved Hubble telescope. The $4.5 billion telescope will be placed in orbit 1.5 million km from Earth and will be almost three times the size of the Hubble. It is set to launch in 2013. They also plan to service the Hubble in 2008."

So if this one breaks ...

[johnlcallaway]

... who's going to fix it????

Re:So if this one breaks ...

[pookemon]

Pffft! As if that would happen... NASA learns from it's mistakes. :)

They're far more likely to do something new - like tell it to go to the other side of the sun, via the centre of the sun.

Completely Offtopic!!!!!

[rts008]

How long is that lame /. poll going to stay????

Move on to the next subject!!!!

I have Karma to burn....mod's do not hold any fear for me!!!!

is it just me

[callmetheraven]

Is it just me or does the JWST look kind of like Barbie's Imperial Star Destroyer?

Re:So if this one breaks ...

[Anonymous Coward]

In unrelated news, Northrop Grumman engineers announced that they have set a new world record for playing the largest board game ever, a game of Settlers of Catan on gigantic hexes they had "just laying around".

Re:Six years?

[HAKdragon]

I think it's possible, it's not like their working on Duke Nukem Forever or anything.

Re:So if this one breaks ...

[Nefarious Wheel]

They're far more likely to do something new - like tell it to go to the other side of the sun, via the centre of the sun.

That's ok, they can get it to land at night.

Let me guess....

[MLease]

When they start getting images from the JWST, they'll see a dude in a flowing white robe and beard waving his arms; lip readers will ultimately be able to make out the words "Let there be light!" in Hebrew.

-Mike

Re:We dont need hubble for visible...

[TooMuchToDo]

Hot damn, you bitch slapped the parent post.

Re:We dont need hubble for visible...

[beset]

You actually know what you're talking about.

You must be new here.

Re:Gaia

[Nuffsaid]

It is expected to be launched by the ESA in the second half of 2011, and will be operated in a Lissajous orbit around the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrangian point.

Let's hope they will agree on non-intersecating orbits for Gaia and JWST.

Gaia team: Hey! We were here first!
JWST team: "Here"? You are oscillating all around the place!
Gaia team: Ours is an elegant Lissajous orbit. What is yours?
JWST team: We'll pwn the L2 point itself!
Gaia team: No way! Our probe will intersect it in 13 days.
JWST team: Metric days or imperial days?
Gaia team: What do you mean? Days are days.
JWST team: Wait! Your probe steered!
Gaia team: We told you: it's a Lissa...
*CRASH!*