AAS Informational Email 2004-06AAS Informational Email 2004-06: Update on Congressional Resolutions related to HST-SM4 Cancellation Sidney Wolff, Chair, Committee on Astronomy and Public Policy and Kevin Marvel, Deputy Executive Officer Summary A Resolution (S. Res. 324) has been introduced into the Senate Expressing the sense of the Senate on the cancellation of Hubble Servicing Mission 4 (SM-4). Background On March 3, 2004 H. Res. 550
was introduced by Representative Mark Udall (D-CO) expressing the sense
of the house on the cancellation of the HST servicing mission Strong bi-partisan support of such measures, even though they are non-binding, can significantly influence public policy. Information A similar bill was introduced into the Senate by senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) on March 25, 2004. Currently the bill is only co-sponsored by senator Sam Brownback (R-KS). AAS members are encouraged to contact their senator and request that they co-sponsor this resolution and also thank their representative for co-sponsoring H.Res. 324. Members may identify their member of congress or senator by using the Zip-To-It feature on the AAS web site: http://www.aas.org/policy/aas.bios.html. Supplementary Information S.Res. 324 is appended in its entirety. Expressing the sense of the Senate relating to the extraordinary contributions resulting from the Hubble Space Telescope to scientific research and education, and to the need to reconsider... (Introduced in Senate) SRES 324 IS 108th CONGRESS S. RES. 324 Expressing the sense of the Senate relating to the extraordinary contributions resulting from the Hubble Space Telescope to scientific research and education, and to the need to reconsider future service missions to the Hubble Space Telescope. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 25, 2004 Ms. MIKULSKI (for herself and Mr. BROWNBACK) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the Senate relating to the extraordinary contributions resulting from the Hubble Space Telescope to scientific research and education, and to the need to reconsider future service missions to the Hubble Space Telescope. Whereas discoveries from the Hubble Space Telescope have dominated space science news over the last 10 years; Whereas the Hubble Space Telescope has provided proof of black holes, insights into the birth and death of stars, spectacular views of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9's collision with Jupiter, the age of the Universe, and evidence that the expansion of the Universe is accelerating; Whereas the inspiring scientific discoveries from the Hubble Space Telescope reach millions of students each year and have been important in encouraging students to study the sciences; Whereas the inspiring scientific discoveries from the Hubble Space Telescope reach millions of students each year and have been important in encouraging students to study the sciences; Whereas the 2000 National Academy of Sciences Decadal Survey endorsed a plan to maintain the Hubble Space Telescope until 2010; Whereas the Hubble Space Telescope
has been the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's most scientifically
productive mission, accounting for 35 percent of all Whereas the demand for research time on the Hubble Space Telescope in 2003 was approximately 8 times that available; Whereas approximately $200,000,000
worth of instruments have largely been built, including scientific instruments
that would provide significant improvements in Hubble's scientific power
and including replacement gyroscopes and batteries, which could keep the
telescope in operation Whereas the distinguished panel that studied scientific priorities for ultraviolet and optical astronomy in 2003 considered the continued operation of the Hubble Space Telescope by means of the SM-4 servicing mission to be its highest priority; and Whereas the American Astronomical Society, the largest professional scientific association for astronomers and astrophysicists, believes a panel of experts should review the decision to limit prematurely the lifespan of the Hubble Space Telescope: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) recognizes the extraordinary contributions resulting from the Hubble Space Telescope to scientific research and education; (2) strongly recommends that
the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
appoint an independent panel of expert scientists and engineers inside (3) expresses its strong sentiment that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration should continue all planning, preparation, and astronaut training activities for the SM-4 servicing mission without interruption until the expert panel issues its report and until the National Aeronautics and Space Administration provides a timetable of compliance with recommendation R6.4-1 of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board report, which calls for `a fully autonomous capability for all missions to address the possibility that an International Space Station mission fails to achieve the correct orbit, fails to dock successfully, or is damaged during or after undocking', since National Aeronautics and Space Administration compliance with the recommendation will allow both a Hubble servicing mission and missions to the International Space Station to be carried out safely. ____________________________________________________________ [Mailed to US members from aas.org at 4:15pm, 30 MARCH 2004] To read previous AAS Informational
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