MLA Sample Sequence—final draft (MLA 7th
Edition)
Note: I have placed the inserted quotations in a different
font to make them easy to locate.
Repairing the Hubble Telescope Several years ago, the Hubble Space Telescope was launched from a
space shuttle flight. Astronomers had hoped that with the telescope
orbiting high above earth's cloudy atmosphere, several questions about the
birth and fate of the universe could be answered. Unfortunately, after
the telescope was in orbit, technicians discovered that the telescope lens
had a flaw that made the pictures it sent to earth too fuzzy and imperfect to
lead to new discoveries. "It was a view akin to a dusty
contact lens or trying to see a sharp image through dirty water" (“Why
Couldn’t”). Needless to say, this was a
major disappointment to those hoping to peer deeper into space.
Because of this unforeseen defect, a new lens would have to be fitted onto
the telescope if it were to perform as it was designed to.
For several months after the defect was discovered, scientists and
technicians considered three different ways to fix the problem.
One was to build and launch a new telescope. This would cost millions of dollars and
delay receiving any deep space information for several years (Jacobs and
Moore 68). Another idea was to build a super computer
that could clear up the pictures the current Hubble sent to
earth. However, even a super computer would have to
"guess" several parts of an enhanced picture. Carl Landis, a local astronomer,
reports that
Even the most sophisticated super computer wouldn’t have the power and speed
necessary to clear up the image. Plus, the computer program would
have to make several guesses concerning the image it was trying to
process. We would be spending millions on an image we couldn't really
trust or make accurate measurements from. It would be like guessing
what was out there.
The final option was to build and install a corrective "contact
lens" for the Hubble, much as doctors and technicians make for humans
with vision problems. This solution would require tolerances
never before achieved in a lens. Added to this was the necessity to install
the corrective lens in space. Trying to anticipate as many problems as
possible before the construction of the lens was a daunting task.
As one mission
planner remembers, “Planning the mission was probably more difficult than
deciding which 'cure' to use. In fact, many of us doubted we could
complete the planning successfully” (Davis and Hill 123).
Once scientists decided to build and install a corrective lens, the
construction began in June of 1992. The lens was designed to bring into
focus the flawed part of the original telescope lens, thus giving the Hubble
the equivalent of 20/20 vision. As said earlier, to achieve this,
tolerances had to be nearly perfect for the corrective lens to
work. "If
the lens measurements were off more than the width of a human hair, the
Hubble's vision would probably be made worse" (“Why Couldn’t”). Fortunately, technology was up
to the task, and the corrective lens fell well within required tolerances.
Once the corrective lens was formed, astronauts on a space shuttle mission
would attempt to install it and make fine adjustments. This was a
repair job without rival in terms of complexity. One researcher writes that "to
complete the mission would require orchestration of countless tasks without
error" ("The Hubble Finally Works" 69).
The risk was great, but so was the payoff: the original Hubble Space
Telescope would be saved along with millions of dollars and several years of
work.
In December 1993, astronauts aboard the space shuttle successfully installed
the corrective lens. Since no space robot could have done the intricate
work the astronauts were required to do, their success became one more reason
why human repair and shuttle teams continue to be part of our space program. One expert observed that “no more was there any doubt that
humans should be involved in space. Even though the risk to life
remains, humans cannot be replaced by machines when an intricate, changing
situation occurs"
(“Why Couldn’t”).
After a few stressful weeks of "tuning,” scientists and technicians
reported that the Hubble's vision was perfect. The corrective lens
installed by the astronauts exceeded all expectations in repairing the
flaw. Because of the success of the repair effort, questions such as
"do black holes exist" and "how did the universe begin" would
receive fresh, never-before-seen information. In addition to discovering new clues
about the universe's origin, astronomers were also thrilled at the prospect
of unlocking even more wonders (Baker 365). In many
ways, it seems fortunate that the Hubble needed repair. Its story is a
one of human error being corrected by human ingenuity to give all humans
greater vision.
Works Cited (MLA 7th Edition)
Baker, Elaine. Black Holes and Hubble. New York: Roundhill Press, 2012. The "The Hubble Finally Works.” The Spokesman Review 17 Jan. 2000:
B3. Jacobs, Alice L. and Marilyn Moore. "Correcting the Hubble's
Sight." Scientific Adventures Nov. 2010:
68-72. Landis, Carl. Personal interview. 12 Oct. 2014
Orion Web Reference. 5 Feb. 2001. Orion Space Imaging. Web. 16 Oct. 2013.
Why Couldn't It See? Nova. PBS Television. 15 Jan. 2015.
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