Dr. Becky | Can SpaceX save the Hubble Space Telescope from falling to Earth? @DrBecky | Uploaded 1 year ago | Updated 3 days ago
The Hubble Space Telescope is slowly spiralling back to Earth; how can we save it to continue its science mission?
More about the Soft Capture Rendezvous System: nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/servicing/SM4/main/SCRS_FS_HTML.html
NASA press release announcing extension of HST science mission to 2026: nasa.gov/feature/nasa-extends-hubble-operations-contract-provides-mission-update
NASA blog announcing feasibility study with SpaceX: nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/nasa-spacex-to-study-hubble-telescope-reboost-possibility
NASA request for information from commercial space companies: sam.gov/opp/7d73f2f1cbf34603b7734bb7eacfc79e/view
NASA blog about gyroscope failure in 2018: nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2018/update-on-the-hubble-space-telescope-safe-mode
More about the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (previously WFIRST): roman.gsfc.nasa.gov
More about LUVOIR: luvoirtelescope.org
00:00 Introduction
00:58 - HST’s low-Earth orbit
01:51 - Why HST is falling to Earth
02:34 - The original plan to bring it back to Earth: the Space Shuttle
03:28 - The last Space Shuttle HST servicing mission STS-125 SM4
04:15 - How HST and JWST manoeuvre to point at an object
04:56 - The gyroscopes that could kill Hubble before it falls
05:51 - The new plan: the Soft Capture Rendezvous System
07:00 - SpaceX Dragon feasibility study for orbital boost
08:22 - A long wait for the next generation of UV/optical space telescopes
09:09 - Outro
09:48 - Bloopers
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📚 My new book, "A Brief History of Black Holes", out NOW in hardback, e-book and audiobook (which I narrated myself!): http://hyperurl.co/DrBecky
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📚 "The Year In Space" celebrating all things space in 2022 from me and the rest of the Supermassive Podcast team: geni.us/jNcrw
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👕 My new merch, including JWST designs, are available here (with worldwide shipping!): dr-becky.teemill.com
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🎧 Royal Astronomical Society Podcast that I co-host: podfollow.com/supermassive
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🔔 Don't forget to subscribe and click the little bell icon to be notified when I post a new video!
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👩🏽💻 I'm Dr. Becky Smethurst, an astrophysicist at the University of Oxford (Christ Church). I love making videos about science with an unnatural level of enthusiasm. I like to focus on how we know things, not just what we know. And especially, the things we still don't know. If you've ever wondered about something in space and couldn't find an answer online - you can ask me! My day job is to do research into how supermassive black holes can affect the galaxies that they live in. In particular, I look at whether the energy output from the disk of material orbiting around a growing supermassive black hole can stop a galaxy from forming stars.
http://drbecky.uk.com
rebeccasmethurst.co.uk
The Hubble Space Telescope is slowly spiralling back to Earth; how can we save it to continue its science mission?
More about the Soft Capture Rendezvous System: nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/servicing/SM4/main/SCRS_FS_HTML.html
NASA press release announcing extension of HST science mission to 2026: nasa.gov/feature/nasa-extends-hubble-operations-contract-provides-mission-update
NASA blog announcing feasibility study with SpaceX: nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/nasa-spacex-to-study-hubble-telescope-reboost-possibility
NASA request for information from commercial space companies: sam.gov/opp/7d73f2f1cbf34603b7734bb7eacfc79e/view
NASA blog about gyroscope failure in 2018: nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2018/update-on-the-hubble-space-telescope-safe-mode
More about the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (previously WFIRST): roman.gsfc.nasa.gov
More about LUVOIR: luvoirtelescope.org
00:00 Introduction
00:58 - HST’s low-Earth orbit
01:51 - Why HST is falling to Earth
02:34 - The original plan to bring it back to Earth: the Space Shuttle
03:28 - The last Space Shuttle HST servicing mission STS-125 SM4
04:15 - How HST and JWST manoeuvre to point at an object
04:56 - The gyroscopes that could kill Hubble before it falls
05:51 - The new plan: the Soft Capture Rendezvous System
07:00 - SpaceX Dragon feasibility study for orbital boost
08:22 - A long wait for the next generation of UV/optical space telescopes
09:09 - Outro
09:48 - Bloopers
---
📚 My new book, "A Brief History of Black Holes", out NOW in hardback, e-book and audiobook (which I narrated myself!): http://hyperurl.co/DrBecky
---
📚 "The Year In Space" celebrating all things space in 2022 from me and the rest of the Supermassive Podcast team: geni.us/jNcrw
---
👕 My new merch, including JWST designs, are available here (with worldwide shipping!): dr-becky.teemill.com
---
🎧 Royal Astronomical Society Podcast that I co-host: podfollow.com/supermassive
---
🔔 Don't forget to subscribe and click the little bell icon to be notified when I post a new video!
---
👩🏽💻 I'm Dr. Becky Smethurst, an astrophysicist at the University of Oxford (Christ Church). I love making videos about science with an unnatural level of enthusiasm. I like to focus on how we know things, not just what we know. And especially, the things we still don't know. If you've ever wondered about something in space and couldn't find an answer online - you can ask me! My day job is to do research into how supermassive black holes can affect the galaxies that they live in. In particular, I look at whether the energy output from the disk of material orbiting around a growing supermassive black hole can stop a galaxy from forming stars.
http://drbecky.uk.com
rebeccasmethurst.co.uk
