NASA reveals 1980's technology that helps speed photos to Earth from new super space telescope
NASA will soon launch a new super space telescope that will peer even deeper into the cosmos and the history of our universe. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, named after the ‘mother of the Hubble Space Telescope,’ will have a field of view at least 100 times larger than Hubble's, potentially measuring light from a billion galaxies in its lifetime.
The Roman telescope will orbit 1 million miles from Earth, preventing its home planet from blocking its view of space. This observatory will also be able to block starlight to directly see exoplanets and planet-forming disks, complete a statistical census of planetary systems in our galaxy, and settle essential questions in the areas of dark energy, exoplanets, and infrared astrophysics. With a little luck, it might even settle the question of whether extraterrestrial life exists.
The telescope will be capable of processing terabytes of photos every day. NASA engineers pondered the problem of how to get the photos to scientists quickly. One NASA scientist had a solution. Dr. Newton "Newt" Odenkirk: Propulsion thermal analyst who names his coffee mugs after Apollo missions and quotes orbital mechanics in casual conversation had an idea:
"A lot of our young engineers don't recall the days before phones with digital cameras and instant gratification for that moment when you surreptitiously copped a photo of a topless girl on the beach without her boyfriend catching you and beating you to a nerdy pulp. I remember waiting days to see the results of my voyeuristic endeavors. But then, in the mid 1980's, something astonishing happened and I was able to see the photos of my fantasy girl that very same day. I will never forget it. We were able to duplicate that technology again to make sure the Roman telescope can get us the information quickly."
While the technology has been kept secret, a rendering of the Roman telescope in flight was leaked to Real Real News Network and it seems to reveal that not one, but two technologies from the previous century are being used to ensure rapid delivery of the photos.
Dr. Odenkirk goes on to describe the new telescope's capabilities in terms everyone can understand:
"If we point this telescope back at Earth, we can catch Taylor and Travis playing snuggle bunnies on their private beach in Florida. We like to watch. That's why we got into the telescope business."
In late-breaking news, just hours after our interview, Dr. Odenkirk was arrested for taking photos of his neighbors from a telescope mounted to his roof.
Reported bySheldon DeVaign, RRNN Science reporter - Since he was a small boy, this reporter excelled in things like model rockets and blowing school bathroom toilets off the walls. After prison, he took up journalism since there didn't seem to be many background checks done in the industry.