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CNN Live Today

Chief Hubble Scientist on Updates

Aired March 08, 2002 - 10:17   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Astronauts aboard Space Shuttle Columbia are completing their mission today. Earlier this morning, John Grunsfeld and Richard Linnehan embarked on their fifth and final space walk to repair one of the cameras on the Hubble space telescope. It's NASA's last-ditch attempt to revive the camera, which has been dormant for about three years. If fixed, it could offer glimpses of the dark, distant regions of the universe.

For a better understanding of the mission, up to date and updating this telescope, we are joined by the expert, Dr. Ed Weiler. He joined the Hubble program back in the '70s, helping breathe life into a decades-old dream. And he has endured some interesting stories and a few nightmares along the way. I think he probably has some good stories to tell.

Dr. Weiler, good morning, thanks for joining us.

EDWARD WEILER, CHIEF HUBBLE SCIENTIST: Good morning.

KAGAN: I have been fascinated watching this makeover that the Hubble has had over the last week. I think anybody would envy that -- new heart, new eyes, new wings. This guy's looking pretty good.

WEILER: It never ceases to amaze what our team in space and our team on the ground can accomplish. If we finish this EVA space walk successfully, it will mark the 18th successful space walk if a row for Hubble, and that's just incredible.

KAGAN: The ultimate home repair, as anybody who has even tried to climb on a ladder can appreciate what these guys are doing in outer space.

Let's talk about this latest update. It's to fix or improve the camera on board Hubble. If everything works and everything falls in line, what are we looking at being able to get out of Hubble?

WEILER: We are looking at a camera that will provide about ten times the discovery potential of the current camera. It has a larger field of view, so it'll see more of the sky at any given time, and it has more sensitivity, so it can see further into the universe. And I can't tell you what we will see with it, because we haven't seen it yet.

KAGAN: Which is what makes it so exciting to be part of this science, I imagine.

You have been with Hubble back since the beginning. I would imagine in some ways it feels like an old friend, like you could say to the Hubble, I knew you when, back in the day.

WEILER: It's been a long road, but even though it's been like 23 years, believe it or not, I'm a youngster compared to some people. I know people that have been working on it for 30 and 40 years. So it has been a dream for a long time. And that dream is now a reality, and has been reality for several years.

KAGAN: Speaking of youngsters, this is what you are really hoping to inspire with Hubble. Let's get the kids of America excited by science and excited about space. Otherwise, what is the future of the program?

WEILER: That's exactly my point. It is very important that we do great science with Hubble and scientists publish papers. But that's only our first customer; our real customer for Hubble data is the kids. We had a wonderful economic revolution and technological revolution of '90s, but that didn't come from Santa Claus; it came from all the scientists and engineers that were inspired in the '60s by the space program. If Hubble can get more scientists and more engineers graduated from our colleges, I think that could be its greatest contribution.

KAGAN: How much life do you think is left for Hubble?

WEILER: As you know, it is getting older -- it's 12 years.

KAGAN: As we all are. I'm not pointing fingers there.

WEILER: If you have ever driven a car for 12 years, you know it gets more and more difficult to replace the parts and to fix it every time. We feel we think we can keep the Hubble going till about 2010, about eight more years.

And in eight more years, my goal is to see Hubble brought down to the ground safely by the Space Shuttle and put into the Air and Space Museum in Washington, the most visited museum in the world, because not only can Hubble be an inspiration because of its data in the books that kids read, but they can also walk up to it and see this incredible device that changed our view of the universe and has traveled several billion miles in space.

KAGAN: Amazing. So no space junk plans for Hubble if you had your way?

WEILER: I don't want to see this incredible asset burned up in the atmosphere.

KAGAN: We wish you well in getting this latest revisions for Hubble and also when it's time, in his time, getting Hubble back to earth, so as you said, that the schoolkids of America and the world can check it out. Thank you so much, Ed Weiler, appreciate it.

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