NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Collections About News Help Login
Back to Results
Long-lived space observatories for astronomy and astrophysicsNASA's plan to build and launch a fleet of long-lived space observatories that include the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO), the Advanced X Ray Astrophysics Observatory (AXAF), and the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) are discussed. These facilities are expected to have a profound impact on the sciences of astronomy and astrophysics. The long-lived observatories will provide new insights about astronomical and astrophysical problems that range from the presence of planets orbiting nearby stars to the large-scale distribution and evolution of matter in the universe. An important concern to NASA and the scientific community is the operation and maintenance cost of the four observatories described above. The HST cost about $1.3 billion (1984 dollars) to build and is estimated to require $160 million (1986 dollars) a year to operate and maintain. If HST is operated for 20 years, the accumulated costs will be considerably more than those required for its construction. Therefore, it is essential to plan carefully for observatory operations and maintenance before a long-lived facility is constructed. The primary goal of this report is to help NASA develop guidelines for the operations and management of these future observatories so as to achieve the best possible scientific results for the resources available. Eight recommendations are given.
Document ID
19900004945
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Contractor Report (CR)
Authors
Savage, Blair D. (Wisconsin Univ. Madison., United States)
Becklin, Eric E. (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Cambridge, MA., United States)
Beckwith, Steven V. W. (Cornell Univ. Ithaca, NY., United States)
Cowie, Lennox L. (Hawaii Univ. Honolulu., United States)
Dupree, Andrea K. (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Cambridge, MA., United States)
Elliot, James L. (Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge., United States)
Gallagher, John S. (Lowell Observatory Flagstaff, AZ., United States)
Helfand, David J. (Columbia Univ. New York, NY., United States)
Jenkins, Edward F. (Princeton Univ. NJ., United States)
Johnston, Kenneth J. (Naval Research Lab. Washington, DC., United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1987
Subject Category
Spacecraft Design, Testing And Performance
Report/Patent Number
NAS 1.26:185373
NASA-CR-185373
Accession Number
90N14261
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NASW-3482
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

Related Records

There are no records associated with this record.
No Preview Available