A Space Physics Paradox Why Has Increased Funding Been Accompanied by Decreased Effectiveness in the Conduct of Space Physics Research? (1994) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix B: The Solar Telescope That Saw No Light
Appendix B: The Solar Telescope That Saw No Light
Pages 89-96
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From page 89... ...
The difference is that OSL was never built and probably never will be, but like the Hubble Space Telescope it raises painful questions about the conduct and cost effectiveness of big science projects. Table B.1 summarizes the OSL chronology.
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From page 90... ...
High Resolution Solar Observatory (HRSO) project started at GSFC; studied as Space Station payload Phase C/D funds deleted from FY 88 budget request by OMB HRSO redesigned as a free flier 1988 Restructuring of HRSO to restore capabilities lost in 1986 1989 New science objectives formulated to accommodate changes in hardware GSFC New Business Committee pledges center to OSL budget and manpower plan Request for proposals issued for Phase B contractors Favorable nonadvocacy review; favorable review by Space Science and Applications Advisory Committee (SSAAC)
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From page 91... ...
Before the era of government funding for science, Hale convinced Charles Yerkes, the wealthy builder of Chicago's elevated railway, to finance construction of the largest telescope in the world. A few years later he persuaded Andrew Carnegie to finance the largest solar telescopes and the 60-inch and 100-inch nighttime telescopes on Mount Wilson.
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From page 92... ...
GSFC got the assignment for further work. MSFC and JPL were taken off the project, to the regret of solar physicists, who had strong confidence in MSFC because of its successful management of the Apollo Telescope Mount and because of its competent and growing solar physics group.
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From page 93... ...
camera, associated optics, and shutter Replace two photometric filter-graph film cameras with a single CCD camera system thus no steering mirror No spectrograph grating carousel, no UV Schmidt mirror position, and no black mirrors Delete initial UV-rejection moveable window Delete polarization corrector slide Consider spherical optics for primary mirror rather than parabolic Greatly simplify heat rejection system lure to 100 centimeters, eliminated most of the ultraviolet capability, and removed one of the spectrographs (see Table Bug. The effect on the scientific capabilities was serious but not debilitating.
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From page 94... ...
Back in 1986, solar physics had moved from NASA's Astrophysics Division to the newly formed Space Physics Division, where the HRSO immediately became the biggest and oldest "gorilla" around. The SOT-HRSO was renamed the Orbiting Solar Laboratory (OSL)
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From page 95... ...
Soaring national budget deficits put all big expenditures under the knife. From the time NASA took over in the late 1970s to OSL's cancellation in 1991, the scientists thought they had no control over cost estimates.
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From page 96... ...
Most of the others quietly and privately wrote the OSL off after the repeated setbacks of the early 1980s. Despite their private and sometimes public pessimism, solar physicists had tried a number of times to regain control of the project and its costs.
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