NASA's   2 top priorities:


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12206941


Quote:

"It was cancelled in 2006 as a Nasa programme, later reinstated, and now the astronomy division of Nasa has two top priorities - one is the James Webb Space Telescope and the other is Sofia."

Quote:

A telescope in the back of a modified 747 jet has snapped images of the Orion Nebula at a colour of light no other observatory in the world can see. They are the first results from the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (Sofia), designed to capture colours blocked by Earth's atmosphere. The images show the star-forming region in unprecedented clarity. Further study could yield insight into stars that are just lighting up, one of astronomy's "holy grails".

The article however didn't mention the Spitzer space telescope.
One of the videos here:

http://blogs.howstuffworks.com/2010/06/02/invention-the-sofia-telescope-is-more-powerful-than-hubble/

I really hope NASA does continue on and get into space again otherwise the US will end up a technological backwater like Australia and will only be capable of digging crap out of the ground to sell to the chinese :(

Sir lastnail wrote on Sep 21^st, 2011 at 10:52pm:

I really hope NASA does continue on and get into space again otherwise the US will end up a technological backwater like Australia and will only be capable of digging crap out of the ground to sell to the chinese :(

Australia could build a telescope like that one mounted in an aeroplane.
We're not doing enough science here.
We waste money on Pink Batts improperly installed &
a building education revolution where you can't even cook a pie at a canteen.

This country is a technological backwater.
Howard cut funds for the asteroid detection observatory even though
we know that we will all be wiped out by an asteroid one day.
A big one happens about every 60,000 years & we haven't had a big one for about that long.

Bobby. wrote on Sep 21^st, 2011 at 10:58pm:

Sir lastnail wrote on Sep 21st, 2011 at 10:52pm: I really hope NASA does continue on and get into space again otherwise the US will end up a technological backwater like Australia and will only be capable of digging crap out of the ground to sell to the chinese :( Australia could build a telescope like that one mounted in an aeroplane. We're not doing enough science here. We waste money on Pink Batts improperly installed & a building education revolution where you can't even cook a pie at a canteen. This country is a technological backwater. Howard cut funds for the asteroid detection observatory even though we know that we will all be wiped out by an asteroid one day. A big one happens about every 60,000 years & we haven't had a big one for about that long.

Have you noticed how all of the arseholes and crooks in this country get the money whilst good people with potential are sidelined into the gutter :(

Sure I have Nail,
It's still good news that the world now has something that can take Hubble Like pictures
which will be some consolation when the Hubble mission is over in about 5 years - I think.