gag in the space industry
A $239 million blunder
October 9, 2003
Everyone knows the story of the Hubble Space Telescope. Two mirrors had been prepared. The correct one stayed on the ground. When scientists rushed to their screens to view the fantastic images they expected from this technological treasure, they got a blurry image. Hubble was... nearsighted.
Some may remember the report submitted by the mission's manager, a true hara-kiri. A costly mission had to be prepared to equip the telescope with corrective lenses.
Following this line of thought, on September 6, 2003, a Lockheed technician—no one knows why—had the unfortunate idea of undoing the twenty-four bolts securing a weather satellite to its support. Two days later, other technicians attempted to move the precious object, which then toppled over. The result was the following:
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