Today marks the 15th anniversary of the launch of the Hubble space telescope. Hubble has changed the way humans view the galaxy around them and has brought back photographs that show objects with greater clarity and from farther distances than ever before. Yet, at present, the Bush Administration has not allocated funds for the telescope in its new budget. Hubble is, politically speaking, on life support.

Dr. Stephen Beckwith, the NASA administrator in charge of Hubble indicated that keeping the telescope going would cost NASA the equivalent of 'loose change.'

Unless Hubble is its regular maintenance, it will probably cease to function in three years or less and come crashing back to earth. Beckwith told the BBC it doesn't have to happen that way.

'Hubble's budget represents less than one-and-a-half percent of what NASA spends yearly on space - I think it's loose change,' Beckwith said. 'I think the costs of keeping Hubble alive should not be a major factor for the agency given the high profile that Hubble has in both science and good publicity. Hubble is the best mission in NASA's fleet right now. It's producing beautiful science that the public loves and it makes us all look just great.'

With the space shuttle program yet to resume and still full of safety questions, NASA is unwilling to risk a manned space flight to perform maintenance on Hubble. In addition, President Bush has made a higher priority on landing men on the moon and later making a manned mission to Mars. The shuttle's priority will be supplying the International Space Station. Seemingly, Hubble is being left behind.

'Hubble is still in its prime,' Beckwith added. 'In fact, with two new instruments planned for its next servicing mission, it will be better than ever once it's serviced.'

The Administrator of NASA, Mike Griffin, indicated he would review the decision not to service Hubble. If the shuttle flight scheduled for later this spring proceeds safely, there is still a chance Hubble will see its life extended. Fans of the giant telescope and scientists around the world can only wait and hope.