- Nasa is halting all space shuttle missions to service
the Hubble Space Telescope, a move that will lead to it becoming useless
within four years.
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- The US space agency took the decision because, under
President Goeorge W Bush's new space programme, the space shuttle will
be retired in 2010.
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- The United States will instead focus on voyages to the
Moon and Mars.
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- "This is a sad day," said Nasa's chief scientist
John Grunsfeld, but "the best thing for the space community".
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- Revolution
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- The shuttle is also gradually being wound down, and virtually
all remaining flights until it goes out of service in 2010 will be used
to complete the International Space Station.
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- Flights have been halted since the explosion of the Columbia
shuttle nearly a year ago.
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- Without servicing missions, Hubble should continue operating
until 2008, Mr Grunsfeld said.
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- The BBC's Michael Buchanan in Washington says the telescope
- launched in 1990 - has revolutionised the study of astronomy.
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- The images it has beamed back to earth have determined
the age of the universe - over 13 billion years old - and discovered that
a mysterious energy is causing all of objects in the universe to move apart
ever quicker, our correspondent adds.
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- Servicing missions are required to the Hubble every few
years to replace worn-out parts.
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- The telescope has ailing gyroscopes that were to be replaced
on the next servicing mission - which has already been delayed by the Columbia
accident.
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- © BBC MMIV
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- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3405249.stm
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