Hubble Telescope Not Part of Bush’s Vision

Re “Hubble Telescope’s Days Numbered, NASA Says,” Jan. 17: The Bush administration would like us to go back to the moon and on to Mars at some future date and asks for an increase in NASA’s budget. I support the space program, but Bush’s proposal sounds too much like an election-year gambit. What really astonishes me is how the president can talk about the moon and Mars while pulling the plug on the Hubble Space Telescope. Is this the Bush vision? Where is Bush’s curiosity? The Hubble Space Telescope is the greatest individual scientific instrument of all time and, if serviced in time by the space shuttle, it could continue significant astronomy work for a few more years. There is no replacement for some time to come. If this is Bush’s idea of vision, I’ll pass.

Craig Taylor

Petaluma, Calif.