Happy Birthday, Hubble Space Telescope

"Now it can finally legally drink alcohol..."

Given how it started out with blurry vision and got pulled over before its 3rd birthday, I'm surprised it's not in AA by now.

hahaha

I still can't believe they are going to close this program and let the scope fall to earth. It seems like such a tragedy.

I wonder if, on the very last shuttle mission, the Hubble couldn't be brought back so it could be displayed at the Smithsonian alond with the shuttle?

I think that's a good idea. I personally would enjoy seeing it in person. However, I wonder how costly returning / safely the scope could be returned, while keeping its integrity to be displayed.

The shuttle is going to repair the Hubble so it will operate long past the retirement of the shuttle. Eventually it will be deorbited and burn up - you can see it then.

There is a complete Hubble still on the earth that could be put in the Smithsonian.

Cool!

I didn't know that.

Where is it located and what are they doing with it?

It's at whichever space center is in charge of the Hubble. If you go to the NASA Hubble page there is a movie that shows them using the spare to create tools and procedures for making the repairs on the orbiting Hubble. It's standard procedure to keep an exact copy of everything you send into space.

Of course...I wasn't thinking. It is in Houston at the Johnson Space Center.

Still, it would be nice to have the actual device back on earth like the Mercury capsule.