LD: There are a host of new missions to be launched, such as the Space Infrared Telescope Facility and
Next Generation Space Telescope. Do you expect any surprises from these observatories?
These objects are the targets of NASA's
Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST), the proposed successor to the Hubble Space Telescope.
In fact, NASA hopes to launch a 6-meter successor to Hubble, dubbed the
Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST), within the coming decade.
The
Next Generation Space Telescope will incorporate leading-edge technology in construction, optics, and deployment.
Nevertheless, compiling a collection of such objects will provide a head start for early-universe observations by the
Next Generation Space Telescope, Hubble's larger successor planned for launch around 2009.
Detecting many of these faint bodies requires a keen eye, such as the
Next Generation Space Telescope. The proposed successor to Hubble, it won't be launched for a decade.
"For the next 10 years or so, there's no way to beat the expected performance of the
Next Generation Space Telescope at visible wavelengths," says Ellerbroek, referring to the proposed 6-meter successor to the Hubble Space Telescope (recently downsized from 8 meters).