daagh wrote:
The Hubble telescope has the great advantage over land-based telescopes of taking images from outside of the planet's atmosphere, which greatly blurs images. Nevertheless, the Hubble has two major disadvantages relative to land-based telescopes: it is difficult to repair, and to maneuver it requires the use of fuel, which will ultimately run out. An advisor at the space agency has proposed equipping the International Space Station with small robotic spacecraft that can be launched from orbit to repair the Hubble at a much lower cost than a repair craft launched from earth would cost.
Despite having some advantages the HB Tele has the following 2 disadvantages -
1. Difficulty in repairing the telescope
2. Difficulty in Manevering ( since it requires fuel - Which is exhasutible )
Advisor claims - To equip ISS with robotic spacecraft to repair the HBT at much lower cost than sending craft from earth.Which of the following, if true, is
NOT a serious weakness of the space agency advisor's plan?There will be 4 options having serious weakness of the advisors plan.While in flight, the robotic spacecraft are roughly as likely to break down and require repairs as the Hubble, and they are not capable of repairing each other. -
If the robotic spacecraft is itself prone to break down how can it repait the HBT.The robotic spacecraft will themselves need fuel and will require fuel to be sent from Earth at a total cost comparable to that of launching repair craft from Earth.-
If the robotic spacecraft itself depends on supplies from earth and the cost is same then what is the use in employing it.The robotic spacecraft proposed by the advisor will incur significant design costs not incurred by a repair craft launched from earth, which already exists. - If the cost associated with robotic spacecraft is almost similiar to that of the spacecraft then why should we need it.
To be effective, the proposed robotic spacecraft may require human maintenance on the International Space Station when all astronauts aboard are committed to other uses of their time. -
If the spacecraft itself requires maintenance on ISS then it might be of no use.The robotic spacecraft will not have the capability to refuel the Hubble. -
This statement tells us that the robotic craft can not refuel the HBT, however it remains silent about the repairing aspect.E neither strengthens nor weakens the advisors proposed idea, it simple states that the Robotic craft can not refuel the HBT and remains silent on the repairing aspect.IMHO E since it neither strengthens nor weakens the advisors plan.