The illustrious Hubble Space Telescope will eventually re-enter Earth’s atmosphere and be destroyed – or so I understand. Could it be returned to Earth safely and put in a museum? If so, what would be the cheapest way to do it?
(Continued)
Our apologies to Sam Palasciano whose earlier submission to this question on 3 June contained an error introduced by us – Ed
Advertisement
• Hubble’s primary mirror weighs roughly 1800 pounds or 800 kilograms, not 450 as the article stated. This could be significant if someone wanted to seriously pursue this question.
However, I would much rather someone came up with a way of extending the life of the Hubble telescope in orbit. The replacement Webb Telescope, as I understand it, operates at different wavelengths. Hubble was designed to have a more useful operating window, including both ultraviolet and infrared, an advantage that will be lost when it is closed down.
Sam Palasciano, Oceanside, California, US
We pay £25 for every answer published in New ÐÓ°ÉÔ´´. To answer this question – or ask a new one – email lastword@newscientist.com. Terms and conditions apply.
Please keep your answers concise and include a postal address in order to receive payment for answers, and a daytime telephone number and email address if you have one. We reserve the right to edit items for clarity and style.
ÐÓ°ÉÔ´´ reserves all rights to reuse question and answer material that has been submitted by readers in any medium or in any format.
You can also submit answers by post to: The Last Word, New ÐÓ°ÉÔ´´, 110 High Holborn, London WC1V 6EU, UK.