Perhaps one of the most useful pieces of scientific equipment launched by NASA was the Hubble Space Telescope   

     Amazingly enough, as of today (April 24th, 2012), it has been quietly orbiting the Earth for 22 years, taking tens of thousands of images that are not only spectacularly amazing to look at, but,  have helped mankind in its investigation of the universe around us.     While its birth was not the smoothest process – as often happens, made more complicated by human error, once the optical issues were sorted out and the corrective optics in place, it hit its stride and has hardly slowed down since.

     Now, I recall that Hubble was supposed to be the start of a long line of “great observatories” placed in space.  I even recall a rebirth of enthusiasm for returning to the Moon so a large scope could be built there, too.   While there are a number of excellent machines in orbit now, who are also gathering huge amounts of useful data, it seems to me that the vision that started out in the 60s with the Apollo program has faded away, leaving nothing but a shadow of its former optimistic energy.   Not only have several “great Observatories” been cancelled, but, if the Hubble were to fail tomorrow, there appear to be no plans in place to fix it.   Also, there are no newer telescopes in the pipeline to replace the Hubble with increased light grasp, better electronics, etc

     Some people claim that the space program is nothing but  a waste of money.   I disagree completely, because not only has the program produced huge benefits for today’s society – ranging from the cosmological, as I mentioned before, to the amazing electronics that bless and curse our lives.  Beyond that, There is the simple fact that exploration like this adds a very positive energy to society, and gives it an exciting thing to add interest to the daily grind of trying to earn a living and take care of the mundane aspects of reality.   That energy is really necessary to keep society from slipping into a dark and negative place.

     Pleasant Dreams

     Bee Man Dave