Future Science Preview - Subverting Science Fiction

Author: Lei Xue, Tong Rui / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: Have you ever looked down from the rooftop of a building more than 20 floors high? Do you think the people downstairs have become "tiny ants," and even the normally huge buses have turned into "little beetles"? If you had a telescope at that moment, everything would be different. Everything downstairs would seem right before your eyes. In fact, this is still just one of the most common types of telescopes. Others include astronomical telescopes specifically designed for astronomical research, digital telescopes that can take photos, and so on. Among these various types of telescopes, the most extraordinary one has to be the space telescope!
In 1990, the world's first space telescope was launched. Its designers named it after the American astronomer Edwin Hubble (1889–1953), which is the famous Hubble Space Telescope. It can observe from an altitude of 500 kilometers above the Earth, not only but also free from the interference of Earth's atmosphere, achieving a high sensitivity and high resolution that no ground-based telescope can match. This is also the most advanced space telescope in the world. Since its launch on April 25, 1990, "Hubble" has circled the Earth at least 88,000 times and taken 750,000 precious photographs of outer space and Earth.
As people reach a certain age, they retire. Similarly, the lifespan of a space telescope, according to design requirements, is at least 15 years. The Hubble Telescope is now approaching retirement age. Astronauts have already conducted four repairs on the Hubble Telescope, each costing a fortune. Moreover, with the rapid advancement of telescope technology, calls for Hubble's retirement have grown stronger. According to engineers' analysis, the aging solar panels of "Hubble" can still support it until 2007. By then, new batteries and gyroscopes must be replaced, otherwise, "Hubble" will no longer be able to function.
In addition to its lifespan, due to manufacturing errors, the Hubble Space Telescope cannot distinguish objects beyond 14 billion light-years and can only see objects within 4 billion light-years. Moreover, its solar panels, due to thermal expansion and contraction, still suffer from trembling issues. To address the series of problems "Hubble" faces, scientists have decided to replace it with a new-generation space telescope within 30 years. So, what will the new "successor" look like?
P1