The Hubble Space Telescope is deployed on April 25, 1990 from the space shuttle Discovery. Avoiding … [+] distortions of the atmosphere, Hubble has an unobstructed view peering to planets, stars and galaxies, some more than 13.4 billion light years away.
NASA/Smithsonian Institution/Lockheed Corporation
The Hubble Space Telescope is backfor now. After a worrying month out of action because its payload computer failed, the problem has been fixedand its begun doing science again already.
However, despite returning to action with some incredible shots of a pair of interacting galaxies there are warnings this week that its achievements could soon be replicated using balloons.
Heres everything you need to know about SuperBITthe $5 million floating telescope whose wider angle lens and more megapixels will make it better than Hubble.
The SuperBIT balloon in flight, above NASAs Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility, Texas, in June … [+] 2016.
Richard Massey / Durham University
What is SuperBIT?
Described today at the online National Astronomy Meeting (NAM 2021), the Superpressure Balloon-borne Imaging Telescope (or SuperBIT) is a new kind of astronomical observatorya low-cost balloon-borne telescope.
Due to debut next April 2022, SuperBIT will have a 0.5 metre diameter mirror and be carried 40km up to above 99.5% of the Earths atmosphere by a helium balloon the size of a football stadium.
New balloon technology makes visiting space cheap, easy, and environmentally friendly, said Mohamed Shaaban, a PhD student at the University of Toronto. SuperBIT can be continually reconfigured and upgraded, but its first mission will watch the largest particle accelerators in the Universe: collisions between clusters of galaxies.
For the first time NASA now has superpressure balloons that contain helium for months, well beyond the few days that was previously possible.
How can it be as good as Hubble?
Earths turbulent atmosphere blurs our view of the Universe. Thats why the biggest and best ground-based telescopes are built the top of high mountains where the atmosphere is at its thinnest. Its also why our space telescopes have a clearer viewbut it seems that getting above 99.5% of the Earths atmosphere is enough to get sharp images of the cosmos.
During a flight test flight in 2019, SuperBIT was able to remain stable for over an hour, which means its images should be as sharp as from any orbiting space telescope.
SuperBITs final preparations for launch from Timmins Stratospheric Balloon Base Canada, in … [+] September 2019.
Steven Benton / Princeton University
When will SuperBIT launch?
SuperBIT is scheduled to launch on a superpressure balloon in April 2022 from Wanaka, New Zealand.
During its flight it will circumnavigate the Earth, imaging the sky at night and recharging its batteries via solar panels during the day.
The advantages of balloon telescopes
Whereas space telescopes have to work first time and stay in space for decadeshence Hubbles cameras being relatively low resolutionballoon telescopes like SuperBIT can be fixed and upgraded between flights.
SuperBITs 0.5 metre mirror could also soon be upgraded to 1.5 metres, which would make it better than Hubble and in future it could even be one of a fleet of space telescopes.
A SuperBIT optical and ultraviolet composite image of the Pillars of Creation, trunks of gas and … [+] dust in the Eagle Nebula, 7,000 light years away in the direction of the constellation of Serpens.
SuperBIT team, from Romualdez et al. (2018) SPIE 10702
Why we need a new Hubble
Although it was fixed in the 1990s and upgraded several times by astronauts on visiting Space Shuttles, Hubble cannot now be fixed. You might think thats fine since NASA and ESA will soon launch the James Webb Space Telescope, but that monster space telescope images only at infrared wavelengths.
So when Hubble does dieand weve had a stark warning this month of just how quickly that could happenastronomers wont have an optical space telescope. If all goes well during its test flights, SuperBIT can fill the gap by offering high-resolution multicolour optical and ultraviolet observations well beynd the lifespan of Hubble.
SuperBIT is a project from scientists at Durham, Toronto and Princeton Universities as well as NASA and the Canadian Space Agency
Whats next for the Hubble Space Telescope
Meanwhile, its hoped that Hubble, which has made over 1.5 million observations of the cosmos in its 31 years, will now get the chance to work in tandem with the James Webb Space Telescope, which is due to launch in 100 days on October 31, 2021 (though that date could easily slip a week or two).
Im thrilled to see that Hubble has its eye back on the Universe, once again capturing the kind of images that have intrigued and inspired us for decades, said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. This is a moment to celebrate the success of a team truly dedicated to the mission. Through their efforts, Hubble will continue its 32nd year of discovery, and we will continue to learn from the observatorys transformational vision.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
Cheap, easy, and environmentally friendly, SuperBIT will cost almost 1,000 times less than launching a space telescope.
