President Trump's 2019 NASA budget would pull the plug on astronomer's No. 1 priority for the next decade. NASA's former astrophysics chief says Congress should keep WFIRST funded.
The approach NASA has taken with James Webb Space Telescope, with no ability to repair or upgrade the telescope after its launch, stands in sharp contrast to what it did with JWST’s predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope. Some believe NASA should embrace servicing, and even assembly, of future space telescopes.
A group of astronomers and engineers is seeking to convince NASA to study in-space servicing and assembly of future space telescopes, including the role the proposed Deep Space Gateway could play to support it.
Discoveries involving two “ocean world” moons in the outer solar system announced April 13 are likely to bolster the case for planned and proposed spacecraft missions to those worlds.
NASA has accepted the recommendation of a review panel that it continue operations of a half-dozen astrophysics missions, including infrared and x-ray observatories and a retooled extrasolar planet mission.
Another servicing mission to Hubble may not be in the best interests of the astronomical science community or the taxpaying public, and I believe an alternative to servicing Hubble — namely, build Hubble 2.0 — is more feasible.
As we approach the 25th anniversary of Hubble’s launch on April 25, it is time to start planning for the observatory’s next 25 years.
It was 1976, America’s bicentennial, but the nation’s celebratory mood did not extend to big-ticket astronomy projects — at least not as far as Congress was concerned.
Astronomers approved a plan to use Hubble to search for a faraway space rock for New Horizons.
The celestial critter in the new Hubble telescope photo is actually a cloud of gas stretching one light-year across, scientists say.
Breaking with its tradition of not commenting on pending legislation, NASA took to the blogosphere July 17 to blast the $16.6 billion NASA budget the House Appropriations commerce, justice, science (CJS) subcommittee marked up last week.
The Hubble team is aiming to keep the telescope operating through 2020.
Like 1996, NASA plans to use Hubble to image six more deep photos.
With Hubble going strong, NASA plans to operate it until its instruments give out, potentially for another six years or more.
The 20-nation European Space Agency (ESA) approved a cooperation arrangement with Russiaunder which the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, will provide two Proton rockets to launch what has become the Euro-Russian ExoMars mission in 2016 and 2018.
A tiny new moon has been discovered orbiting Pluto, scientists announced July 11.
