The picture shows space shuttles Atlantis and Endeavour sitting on launch pads in Florida, waiting for Atlantis’ mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. We were going to be there for the Sky at Night, but as you’ll have heard, a major failure with Hubble’s control system means that the flight is to be delayed until next year. We filmed an excellent preview of the mission with Martin Barstow last weekend, so I’m chalking this one up to the Sky at Night curse.
Trying to be positive, it’s obvious that we would have been in serious trouble had the faliure happened after this, the final repair mission. Right now, though, I feel like a sulky child who has had his toys taken away from him.
Meanwhile, we’re scrambling to make the best use of our tickets to the US, and to fill the large hole in forthcoming programmes that this will leave. An unexpected bright comet, or a supernova, would go down very well round about now, please.
Thomas J on September 30, 2008
Well is certainly is bad all over, but as you say, better the failure now than later. I think that a disaster has been averted.
Nereid on October 1, 2008
Suggestions on what you could profitably do, in the US, astronomically speaking?
Patrick on October 5, 2008
I was in my car driving to the see it launch when I heard it was cancelled. I am as dissapointed as you.
But a more lasting disappointing is the decision to stop making Sky at Night available to the US via the Web. Watching the monthly installment on the BBC website was something my friends and I have waited for every month since discovering the show last year. We enjoyued the show so much we even developed a drinking game called “That’s Right” in which we had to down a beer every time someone said ‘That’s right” on the show. Now that the BBC has switched to iPlayer and is not making it available outside the UK, Sky at Night will just be a lovely (if sometimes foggy) memory.
We’ll miss you , brother.
Ciaron Drain on October 5, 2008
Well if this goes on they may have to have an exorcism, and if Sarah Palin actually becomes Vice President maybe they will have to sacrfice a couple of Virgins too, I see her daughter disqualified herself on that one.
robin on October 9, 2008
Patrick said,
But a more lasting disappointing is the decision to stop making Sky at Night available to the US via the Web.
Hi Patrick,
No need to go completely cold turkey if you can find a copy of the Sky at Night Magazine on the news stand. Each episode is on the CD which comes with it – or at least it used to be. Do you know if this will still be the case now the on line archive has stopped Chris?
Cheers
Robin
peteshmm on October 11, 2008
Oh dear, I must be getting older! My drinking cue used to be the phrase, “We just
don’t know!”. Only a fruit juice though!