NASA Chief Postpones Hubble Repair Mission

NASA representatives have announced that the American space agency has postponed a decision on whether a mission to repair the Hubble space telescope in May will be authorized or not, after learning that the schedule of the launching conflicts with that of the ARES I-X Crew Launch Vehicle test flight, planned for July. The problem with the two launches is that the Johnson Space Center in Houston only has two launch pads, and the Hubble mission needs them both.

On the other hand, the ARES test flight requires a single platform, but needs three or four months to create the necessary modifications to the pad, so that it could accommodate the new generation of space vehicles. ARES I-X is a part of the Constellation project, which means that it should have a higher priority by all accounts. This new machine will be the carrier for the the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle starting with 2015, and any delays will increase the amount of time NASA remains grounded following the 2010 withdrawal of the shuttle fleet.

The Hubble repair mission needs two platforms because, while one shuttle performs the needed repairs, the other will be on stand-by ready to take-off, in case of emergency. This protocol was enacted following the 2003 space shuttle Columbia disaster, and it's highly unlikely that NASA officials will allow for the mission to take off without proper support.

According to sources inside the agency, some high representatives are analyzing a contingency plan, and are currently calculating how much time would be necessary for a rescue mission to be organized on the same pad wherefrom the first flight takes off. If the time allows for it, then they could go for this option, which would permit them to clear the other pad for the ARES I-X project.

While the discussion still rages on, engineers have already begun making minor modifications to one of the pads, just in case the ARES I-X mission is allowed to take off from there. However, they say that the adjustments they have resort to will not preclude the launch of a shuttle from that pad, if the necessity arises.