William Atkins
Wednesday, 14 January 2009 23:26
Science -
Space
Page 2 of 3
Instead of school buses, NASA has better uses for it.
Dr. Thronson states,
"Imagine the kind of telescope a rocket like that could launch. It could revolutionize astronomy."
The granddaddy of all space telescope is the Hubble Space Telescope. It is a mere 2.4 meters in width.
NASA optical engineer Phil Stahl (Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama) makes a comparison with what the Ares V can deliver into space, and what the space shuttle delivers currently.
Stahl states within the NASA article,
"Ares V could carry an 8-meter diameter monolithic telescope, something that we already have the technology to build. The risk would be relatively low, and there are some big cost advantages in not having to cram a large telescope into a smaller launcher."
Such a huge telescope would be able to collect a lot more light than the Hubble can right now.
Consequently, it could see three times more distinctly than Hubble.
In addition, it would see objects in the universe that are eleven times fainter than what Hubble can visualize.
Page three concludes with further information on the Ares V and NASA's new manned space program Constellation.
