Abstract This paper provides a history of the HubbleSpaceTelescope. The paper first notes that the HubbleSpaceTelescope (HST) was named after the astronomer Edwin Hubble and that it is presently in orbit around the Earth, just outside the planet's atmosphere, providing a great advantage over telescopes that are based on the surface. The paper then looks at how the Hubble was launched in 1990 and has grown to be one of the more valuable astronomical instruments in history. In addition, the paper looks at how breakthroughs in astrophysics have been made with the assistance of the increased abilities allowed with the HST.
Outline:
Introduction
Conception, Design, and Aims
Proposals and Funding
Engineering and Construction
Support from Earth
New Instruments and Servicing Missions
Servicing Missions 1, 2, 3A, and 3B
Scientific Results and Data
Astronomical Impact
Transmission to Earth
Use of the Telescope Scheduling Observations
Observations by Amateur Astronomers
Conclusion
From the Paper "In 1983, a struggle for power between NASA and the entire scientific community led to the establishment of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). Run by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), the STScI is located on the Johns Hopkins University campus in Baltimore, Maryland. The STScI has the primary responsibility of operating the telescope and delivering data to the astronomy community. Engineering support is located nearby, just south of the STScI, in Greenbelt at the GSFC under NASA's management. Since it was launched, the HST operation has been monitored on a twenty-four hour basis, seven days per week by four separate teams of controllers referred to as Hubble's Flight Operations Team (Hubble Space Telescope, 2007)."
Abstract This paper discusses the HubbleSpaceTelescope (HST), the first Earth-orbiting reflecting telescope. The paper examines how the HubbleSpaceTelescope serves a vital function in increasing our knowledge of the universe. The paper explains that since its launch in 1990, despite several crucial problems, it has revealed a universe full of mysterious bodies, nebula, star systems and galaxies and has expanded the possibilities that humankind is not alone in the universe.
From the Paper "The first scientific idea for a telescope such as the HST came about in 1946 when Lyman Spitzer issued a proposal for a space telescope with a primary mirror between sixteen and fifty feet in diameter. Throughout the 1960's and 1970's, with the ultraviolet observatories OAO-2, OAO 3 and the IUE in the planning stages, the space telescope remained only a dream, due to the lack of technology. Yet Spitzer did not give up, for by the 1970's he had offered another proposal for a space telescope which would be able to provide images of very faint objects as contrasted to ground-based telescopes which suffer from distortion due to the Earth's atmosphere. According to Spitzer, such a telescope would not "supplement our present ideas of the universe we live in, but rather would uncover new phenomena not yet imagined and perhaps would modify profoundly our basic concepts of space and time" (42)."
Abstract This paper compares the HubbleSpaceTelescope to its potential successor, the James Webb SpaceTelescope (JWST), in terms of their cost effectiveness. The paper looks at the technology of both telescopes to see which will bring continue to bring back the most valuable information, their respective missions, the cost of deploying and maintaining them in orbit, and the cost of repairs, if any, of the telescopes to determine the cost effectiveness of the telescopes.
From the Paper "Ever since its launch in 1990, the Hubble telescope has been orbiting the Earth at 600 kilometers above, bringing valuable information and photos from space. Its history goes back to 1977, when the Congress approved the project funds. However, operations didn't take off until 1981, when the Space Telescope Science Institute was founded, designed especially for the production and research of the Hubble Space Telescope."
Comparing the contributions made by Galileo to the exploration of space using his telescope to the contributions made by others using modern telescopes.
2,995 words (approx. 12 pages), 12 sources, 2000, $ 88.95
Abstract A paper on the development of the telescope by Galileo Galilei. The author discusses the many theories borne from Galileo's observations of the heavens.
From the Paper "Centuries ago, a tube and two lenses were the only essentials needed to start the journey into the sky. This instrument, called a telescope, expanded the human vision and brought new light from beyond their world and beyond the already visible sky. It allowed mankind to explore the most distant places imaginable without leaving their backyard. Astronomers have studied the stars for centuries, and, with the aid of a telescope, have discovered new entities that exist in the universe. The first person to use this tool for astronomical purposes was Galileo Galilei. He was the first to turn a telescope up into the stars and make observations. His telescope was crude and not as powerful as telescopes today, but it was effective during his time. Although modern telescopes are far more powerful and extremely effective due to electronics, mirrors, and other enhancements to the design of the telescope, the observations and discoveries made by Galileo and his rudimentary telescope are just as significant as those made by telescopes today and in the future."
From the Paper "The Hubble Space Telescope is a cooperative program of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the operation of a long lived space based observatory for the benefit of the international astronomical community. The idea was first developed in the 1940s, designed and built in the 1970s and 80s, and made operational only in the 1990s. This was to be a different type of mission for NASA, to create a long term space based observatory. In order to accomplish this goal and to protect the spacecraft against instrument and equipment failures, NASA had always planned on regular servicing missions. The Hubble has special grapple fixtures, 76 handholds, and is stabilized in all three axes. The Hubble is a 2.4 meter reflecting telescope which was deployed in low ..."
Abstract This paper covers Hubble's time and place in his scientific era, a compact biography and a brief explanation of his scientific achievements. It looks at how he discovered that there are more galaxies than just the Milky Way and how he tackled two of the most fundamental questions about the universe, its age and size.
From the Paper "Born in 1889, Edwin Hubble grew to be a very "large mass of ego," as author Bill Bryson states in A Short History of Nearly Everything (2003) (114). He was born in a small Missouri town on the edge of the Ozarks and grew up in Wheaton, Illinois; on the outskirts of Chicago. His father was a successful insurance executive, so life was always calm and Hubble abiding. Accordingly, Hubble was remarked to be a tough and poised athlete, charismatic, chic, and immensely good-looking-"handsome almost to a fault," in the words of William H. Cropper; as well as "an Adonis" in the words of another admirer (115). These fated gifts were used more or less in constant acts of valor-rescuing drowning swimmers, leading frightened men to safety across the battlefields of France, embarrassing world-champion boxers with knockdown punches in exhibition bouts."
Abstract This paper details of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War and how and why it was a show of power and superiority. The author looks many different aspects of the space race including, its purpose, how it was used to show the other country its weaknesses, how it enabled both countries to explore the uncharted vastness of space and find for it new military and how they attempted to use the moon as the ultimate propaganda tool.
From the Paper "Even though Sputnik had no direct military impact, it showed the progress of the USSR in science and military and prompted the US government to pay more attention to its own missile operation (McGhee 331). The media played a major role in spurring the government to take action. Sputnik was front-page news on all the papers and it had all of America wondering how something like that could happen without anyone knowing (Schefter 23). At first the US government was not impressed by the Soviet's accomplishments. President Eisenhower felt that the U.S. people had acted like children and that no response to Soviet actions was necessary (Burrows 200). He felt that the US needed to toughen up for a long war they may have in the future and did not see the US as being in any competition with the Soviets (Burrows 200). He even went so far as to congratulate the Soviets on their accomplishments (McGhee 330)."
Abstract This paper discusses the physiological changes to the human body during space travel. Early predictions of the response of humans to spaceflight assumed that space adaptation would be analogous to human disease processes rather than to normal physiology. Through studies of bed-rested healthy adults and medical examinations of crews returning from space, we now recognize the adaptive nature of the responses to spaceflight or its ground-based models. e are also aware of the necessity to minimize the flight-induced changes so that crews maintain their Earth-readiness and avoid injury on landing. Lack of gravitational loading affects multiple physiological systems, especially support structures that are particularly vulnerable to injury during reentry and renewed exposure to gravitational forces. Thus, most crew members exercise extensively during flight. Although many physiological systems appear to be affected by spaceflight, only the cardiovascular, neurovestibular, and musculoskeletal systems are covered in this paper.
The paper includes illustrations.
Table of Contents
Table of Illustrations
Introduction
The Cardiovascular System
The Neurovestibular System
The Musculoskeletal System
Summary
Bibliography
From the Paper "As soon as they switch to an internal alignment and use the feet to signal down, they are able to function normally. Upon return to Earth, the brain is confused once again as gravity is now available for orientation. This confusion creates postural instability that is compounded with the cardiovascular difficulty in standing. Also, reflexes associated with posture are slowed even on short-duration missions. With long-duration flights, changes in reflexes may become a major issue."
Abstract This paper analyzes the new emphasis placed on space dominance by the U.S. military policy, as explained by Chalmers Johnson in "The Sorrows of Empire". The paper also looks at the politics of the Bush Administration in the post 9/11 era and how this affects U.S. space policy.
From the Paper "In his review of Chalmers Johnson's "The Sorrows of Empire", Erik Riker Coleman maintains that, from the author's perspective, the policies pursued by the Bush administration in the aftermath of the attacks were a radical ramping-up of the imperial project both abroad and at home. This radical project aimed at total military dominance, includes billions in expenditures aimed at reinforcing and expanding the massive space capability of the U.S. In an unapologetic and strident manner the U S aims to achieve total space domination in..."
Tags: Afghanistan, imperialism, space planes, weaponry, troops, casualties, Space Commission, Bush administration, terrorism, September 11
Abstract This essay briefly explores the relationship between gender and space. Specifically, preconceived notions of privacy and safety in a bedroom and how this relationship is altered in the presence of domestic violence. Furthermore, how domestic violence in this space is portrayed in the public sphere. Sources are drawn from academia, current events and popular culture.
From the Paper "Ideally, the bedroom should be a space of peace, a safe place as much as a respite from every day pressures. In a word, it should be a space of solace. But those close quarters within the confines of a dysfunctional domestic relationship, also present opportunities for cyclical abuse, violence, misogyny, and a general oppression. The trouble, lawmakers say, is trying to balance the interests of the victim with her privacy. This essay explores the relationship between gender and the bedroom and how domestic violence within this space changes the accepted notions of privacy and safety."
Abstract The paper discusses Physiological Space in architecture, noting that this dimension both allows and encourages the viewer to orient him or herself with the work and to gain meaning from the experience. The physiological space is not simply a reflection of physical space but includes a psychological dimension that cannot be discounted. The paper explains that the way the viewer is oriented to the art involves not merely where he or she stands and how he or she relates physically to the work, but also the mental constructs involved, the psychological reactions and other internal processes.
Abstract This essay provides a history of the United States' space program and its rationale for beginning such a program. It also gives information on the competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to see who would be the first nation to put a man on the moon. It explains that when it looked as if the Soviets were ahead with the launching of the satellite Sputnik, America ultimately pulled through to finish first in the space race.
From the Paper "The United States's main rationale for carrying out a space exploration program was the rivalry with the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Both nations had the desire to demonstrate a technological superiority of one form of government over another: a democratic state versus a communist dictatorship. So after both sides became aware that space flight was possible, the Cold War rivalry was the key that opened the door to aggressive space exploration on both sides."
Tags: apollo, landing, moon, nasa, soviet, space, sputnik, union
Abstract This essay reviews the numerous ways that time, space, and change have affected the human existence. In discussing technology, this paper examines the ways in which communication technology, business technology, and technological changes in travel have changed/impacted the importance of time and space on humans. Through these technologies, time is increasingly becoming an irrelevant factor in human existence.
From the Paper "German philosopher Martin Heiddeger was primarily instrumental for his concern with what it means to exist: to be. In essence, Heiddeger's concern primarily related to the fact that humans come into the world and interact with it, as they have not made any contributions to the things that exist in nature or society, but use these things/objects. In addition, he states these objects "come to humanity from the past and are used in the present for the sake of future goals"."
Abstract In this article, the writer looks at how anorexia nervosa is completely centered in body image distortion, or on how the woman perceives herself as occupying space. The two main issues covered in this paper are: (1) how the body image disturbance develops and (2) the reason why so many women feel pressured into self-starvation. The writer discusses that anorexia reflects the inferior position of women in a male-dominated space, the opposition between men and women and a means either of conformity or resistance to domination.
From the Paper "Women have been starving themselves throughout history because of changing rationales and pressures to occupy less space. The pressures began with religion and continue under the capitalist system with its emphasis on delayed gratification. Salter points out just how prevalent a problem anorexia is throughout North America when she states that "more than half the female population between the ages of 15 and 50 years suffer from some form of eating problem"."
Abstract This paper examines the future of civilian space flight in the wake of the Challenger disaster on January 28, 1986 and NASA's opposition to civilian flight.