> what the replacement cost would actually be if they had to launch another?
I wonder if they considered just launching a repair-buddy satellite ? So basically a robotic toolbox with a ton of spare parts that could cover 95% of the possible failures of the thing. Then if they get it up there and find out the panels wont open, or the mirror gets stuck, they could pop it open and get it ready before they send it to the lagrange point.
You might as well just send up a second one, rather than send something that is 95% of the first one plus a very complicated system of robot arms to do arbitrary repairs and replacements.
I wonder if they considered just launching a repair-buddy satellite ? So basically a robotic toolbox with a ton of spare parts that could cover 95% of the possible failures of the thing. Then if they get it up there and find out the panels wont open, or the mirror gets stuck, they could pop it open and get it ready before they send it to the lagrange point.