Looking Into Deep Space
“Who indeed will set bounds to human ingenuity? Who will assert that everything in the universe capable of being perceived is already discovered and known?” ~ Galileo
On April 24, 1990, the space shuttle Discovery lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida with a payload that had been decades in the making. The Hubble Space Telescope, the first telescope to observe the far reaches of the cosmos outside the earth’s atmosphere, finally made it into space after years of delays. The telescope was named after Edwin P. Hubble, a notable astronomer who conducted extensive research into stars and galaxies and was also the first person to prove that the universe continues to expand. The desire to provide a platform for a space telescope had been around for years as the light coming in from the distant cosmos was distorted and diminished by earth’s atmosphere. After the successful run of Apollo moon missions by the National Aeronautical Space Agency (NASA), the powers that be decided that the time was right to move forward with the development and execution of an orbital space telescope.
NASA had a tall order on it’s hand as they approached congress to ask for funds for the project in 1975. The 400 to 500 million dollar price tag was too much for congress to allocate as economic turmoil was alive and disruptive in the United States at the time. NASA reached out the European Space Research Organization, (later to become the European Space Agency), in order to collaborate with their European colleagues and to help spread the coast of the telescope over other agencies to make the project more affordable. A redesign of the main mirror reduced the cost by almost half and the congress approved the funds for the telescope for the 1977 budget. The original launch window was for 1983 but delays pushed the completion of the telescope back until 1985. The Hubble Space Telescope was then scheduled for launch in October of 1986 but then tragedy struck, and the entire project was put on indefinite hold. On January 28th of 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded during take off and all missions involving the shuttle program were grounded. As the telescope was designed to be delivered into space in one of the shuttles operated by NASA, it was unclear when the shuttles would operational, if ever, again.
After decades as a dream and years as a project in the works and waiting for delivery, the Hubble Space Telescope finally lifted into space 28 years ago today. The original program was only designed to last for 15 years…we are well beyond that target now and the information that has been gained from this scientific wonder has allowed humanity’s understanding of space to increase by leaps and bounds. Ironically, the optics of the telescope did not live up to expectations when data first started coming back to scientist and it was discovered that the main mirror was ever so slightly out of focus. It wasn’t until the first scheduled servicing of the telescope in 1993 that researchers could introduce new optics and thus fix the telescope to do what scientist had originally hoped it could do. The new, clearer images surpassed the expectations of everyone involved and has allowed researchers to study the far reaches of space.
Why? Why is it so important to seek out the far reaches of space and study the origins of our universe? Why do we keep pouring money into a space program that seems to develop research that only a handful of people on the planet can truly understand? Before you answer, let me ask you a follow up question…what if the early explorers like Leif Erikson, Christopher Columbus, or Francisco Vasquez de Coronado never sailed a ship out of their known waters? What if early medicine or even modern medicine ceased to explore new and more effective treatments for illnesses and disease? The ability to explore, to expand our knowledge of the universe may lead us to things yet in undiscovered as humanity pushes the boundaries of our knowledge and technology. The science we pour into our research gives back to humanity a bountiful return on investment to the things we use everyday and the medicine that helps to improve our quality of life. Projects like the Hubble Space Telescope and the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (the platform to replace the Hubble Space Telescope slated to launch May of 2020) will give astronomers all over the world access to images that are just impossible to obtain from earth. Humanity has learned so much from this platform, how much more can we learn with the next generation telescope?
The exploration of space helps to feed the appetite of those who seek knowledge for the advancement of humanity. It is not just for one country or group of people who will benefit from this growth, but all of humanity as we gain a deeper understanding of the universe around us. Take care of yourself and each other, remember, we’re all in this together.
Wm Reid
Best Home Care Services
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wmreid@bhcshealth.com