Westminster, CO- Congressman Mark Udall (D-CO), Ranking Member on the House Science Committee’s Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, released the following statement regarding NASA’s decision to launch a Hubble space telescope servicing mission:
“As a longtime supporter of the Hubble Space Telescope, I am pleased that NASA is moving forward with a servicing mission and that Administrator Michael Griffin reversed his earlier plans to cancel efforts to save the telescope. For three years, I have worked with my colleagues and the scientific community to save Hubble, and last year I succeeded in getting language into the NASA Authorization Act which included a human servicing mission for Hubble. Today’s decision is a victory for science, for exploration, and for Colorado.
“This servicing mission is important to Colorado because two main instruments that would be installed-the Wide Field Camera 3 and the Cosmic Origins Spectograph-come from Ball Corporation and the University of Colorado. So with this mission, Colorado will continue to showcase its dynamic space industry, which ranks third in the nation.
“Hubble’s scientific contributions have amazed us all for fifteen years and it remains one of the most productive scientific instruments in history-certainly NASA’s most productive scientific mission. The Hubble has become a symbol of scientific excellence; one that I am proud is set to continue. As the ranking member on the Space Subcommittee, I will do all I can to ensure that Congress provides the funding to allow the servicing mission to take place.”
