Nature Vol. 293 17 September 1981 175 Time runs out for space telescope Unfortunately it was realized at a late stage or the gyroscopes create some Guidance snags that, as the fine guidance sensor had a unanticipated resonance in the support limited near range, by locking it in place the structure, something that will only be system would be unable to compensate for discovered during the pre-launch phase licked, others any sudden torque produced in the system when a modal survey will be carried out. as a whole in reaction to the movement of The alterations will also mean a slight some other component if the result was a degradation in the telescope's expected still hidden linear displacement of more than about performance. This will still be well within Washington 0.015 arc seconds. the minimum performance included in the Many fingers were crossed at a ground­ Following this "pointing crisis", the original design specifications; but it will breaking ceremony held at Johns Hopkins whole system has been redesigned. New not, at least initially, be as high as it could University in Baltimore, Maryland, on feedback has been introduced by keeping have been if more time (and development Monday to mark the beginning of the star selector in the interferometer funds) had been available. construction work on the Space Telescope working in an active mode to keep the Under the original Perkin-Elmer design, Science Institute. The construction of the telescope fixed in its predetermined for example, the telescope was expected to Large Space Telescope itself, due to be direction. Several parts of the five scientific be able to maintain an accuracy of 0.007 launched from the space shuttle early in arc seconds over extended periods of time. 1985, seems just about on schedule and no The new system is designed to an accuracy major technical hurdles are foreseen. of 0.012 arc seconds although it is hoped Those who attended a programme that in practice this can be raised to 0.009 arc review at the National Aeronautics and seconds. Although much higher than most Space Administration (NASA),s Marshall astronomers need, this will, for example, Space Flight Center two weeks ago, result in a loss of some image quality in the however, came away nervous that ultra violet range with the faint-image camera unanticipated problems could disrupt the being built by the European Space Agency. delicate equilibrium in which the whole According to project scientist Dr Robert project seems to be balanced. O'Dell, however, the main problems faced The Space Telescope Science Institute by the space telescope are not technical but will be the principal observation and data financial. The development programme - analysis centre for the telescope, which will costing about $120 million a year - isat the be placed in orbit 500 kilometres above the stage when delays can have the most signifi­ Earth's surface. It is being built on Johns Primary mirror - looking good cant impact on overall costs. Hopkins' Homewood Campus by the Late last year NASA reviewed the pro­ Association of Universities for Research in instruments being carried are also being gramme in view of problems that seemed to Astronomy under an initial five-year, $24 altered to reduce the effects of their be emerging at Perkin-Elmer. This set the million contract with NASA. Dr Riccardo movement on the rest of the vehicle. launch date back by eighteen months to Giacconi has been named director of the However, the additional movement in early 1985, and the total predicted cost was institute, which will eventually have a staff the pointing system could still cause increased by about $150 million in 1982 of about 150, including between 30 and 40 problems if either the fine-guidance sensor dollars to between $700 and $750 million. astronomers from the United States and abroad. The good news on the telescope is that From the frying-pan into the fire? the two mirrors which make up its Ritchey­ The British Prime Minister, Mrs letters written to him by the chairman of Chretien optical system are almost Margaret Thatcher, announced earlier this the University Grants committee, Dr completed and are said to work beyond week that the Secretary of State for Edward Parkes, and the need to respond to expectations. But there is less certainty Education and Science since May 1979, Mr the demand by the Committee of Vice­ about the eventual outcome of the Mark Carlisle, has been replaced by Sir Chancellors and Principals that funds instrumentation being developed to Keith Joseph, Secretary of State for should be made available to pay for the cost maintain the direction and stability of the Industry during the same period. The of redundancies among academics forced telescope in orbit. changes are part of a substantial on the universities in July. The arrival at Initial designs for the fine-guidance reorganization of the British Cabinet. the Department of Education and Science sensor called for an image dissector able to M r Carlisle will now become an ordinary of a secretary of state free to disown his capture a selected guide star combined with Member of Parliament. Sir Keith will predecessor's decisions will seem to many a fixed interferometer to compare the remain a member of the Cabinet, in which universities to be an opportunity for reprieve. separate images of the star produced. he has been one of the principal advocates The reshuffle may, however, have come When this proved to be a cumbersome of monetarist policies since the election of too late for some universities. Those which arrangement Perkin-Elmer, the principal the present government, but the post of have already drawn up plans for reducing contractor for the Optical Telescope Secretary of State for Education and academic payrolls by compulsory Assembly, put forward a more streamlined Science is usually reckoned to carry with it redundancy may find that their compliance design which incorporated the moving less political clout than that at industry. is taken as a sign of weakness. The rest are parts into the interferometer. Once the Even so, and in spite of Sir Keith's likely now argue that a slower contraction start selector had found the guide star, the reputation for agonizing hard and long of the university system than decreed will in whole fine-guidance system would be (and sometimes too long) before making a the long run be more economical. locked in place, and directioning control decision, the arrival ofa new minister at the The Space Telescope remains at the top transferred to the gyroscopes which are department will be welcomed in higher of NASA's space science priority list. Pro­ used to position the space support module education. Mr Carlisle's uncompleted posed to Congress by President Carter in within which the optical telescope assembly business includes the need to respond to the 1977, it is the last "new start" to have is contained. The scheme was calculated to demand of the House of Commons Select escaped budget cuts, and its projected operate with a high degree of accuracy. Committee on Education for a sight of the launch date has remained fixed on the 0028-0836/ 81 / 3801 75-02$01 .00 ~1981 Macmillan Journals Ltd 176 Nature Vol. 293 17 September 1981 space shuttle schedule in recent months were followed (Nature 291,3; 1981). These categories from the list of prohibitions while others have gradually slipped back. recommendations were passed to a sub­ (which would be referred to as So far, everyone is being optimistic that committee which presented Its report to the "admonitions"), and merely include the the 1985 or possibly an earlier launch date full committee last week. In general, the statement that "adherence to these stan­ will be met. This will be particularly members of the subcommittee agreed that ards by all laboratories using recombinant important to planetary scientists who will there was a good scientific case for a DNA is recommended". David Dickson need observations from the space telescope significant reduction in the containment early in 1985 to prepare the imaging levels for all experiments apart from those Plant genetics sequence for the Voyager 2 spacecraft as it known to present a particular type of danger. approaches its encounter with Uranus on In its agreed statement, which will be 24 January 1986. published in the Federal Register for public Head-hunt threat If the programme does slip, NASA could comment before being given final Britain could lose the fruits of research be faced with a rapidly escalating bill as consideration by RAC, the full committee of genetic manipulation with plant technical crews and scientific facilities are suggests that where physical containment material unless steps are taken soon to kept standing idle. The major nightmare is levels applicable to non-recombinant DNA exploit techniques now being developed. that as with the shuttle, budget increases experiments exist for either the host or the That is the concern of the British caused by last-minute delays could have a vector, for example those under revision Technology Group (formed last month considerable impact on other parts of the by CDC, "recombinant DNA experiments from the former National Research space science programme. David Dickson should be carried out at containment levels Development Corporation and the at least as high as those recommended for National Enterprise Board). The group is DNA guidelines non-recombinant DNA experiments". especially concerned about commercially Extensive discussion took place about promising developments within the which types of experiment should be pro­ Agricultural Research Council's special Voluntary code hibited (or under a voluntary code of prac­ programme.