Der ehemalige CEO von Google plant, den Ersatz eines Hubble-Teleskops im Alleingang zu finanzieren
https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/01/eric-schmidt-will-massively-invest-in-private-telescopes-including-hubble-replacement/
Der ehemalige CEO von Google plant, den Ersatz eines Hubble-Teleskops im Alleingang zu finanzieren
https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/01/eric-schmidt-will-massively-invest-in-private-telescopes-including-hubble-replacement/
17 Kommentare
> On Wednesday evening, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and his wife, Wendy, announced a major investment in not just one telescope project, but four. Each of these new telescopes brings a novel capability online; however, the most intriguing new instrument is a space-based telescope named Lazuli. This spacecraft, if successfully launched and deployed, would offer astronomers a more capable and modern version of the Hubble Space Telescope, which is now three decades old.
>A billionaire with a keen interest in science and technology, Schmidt and his wife did not disclose the size of his investment in the four telescopes, which collectively will be known as the Schmidt Observatory System. However, it likely is worth half a billion dollars, at a minimum.
> It is intended to launch as early as late 2028 and begin scientific operations in 2029.
Much more in the article.
Can we have some healthcare?
Nice project, but I wish we would just tax the billionaires instead.
oh that’s cool… what about paying a fair amount of taxes instead?
Finally a billionaire doing something decent.
And he names it after himself! What an absolute sack of Schmidt this guy is. All billionaires are bastards.
Size is interesting. Lazuli will have 3.1m mirror so it look a bit to large for a Falcon. Either NG or Starship, probably the former for the high earth orbit (i Wonder why not L2).
The cost is also very low. They plan of under a half a billion with NGRST, based on a ex spy satellites will cost 3.5b.
A common complaint about the direction of private spaceflight, is that people are worried about companies focusing exclusively on launch, and industrial applications, while neglecting exploration and research. This is a step in the right direction (though public research still outstrips this kind of investment), on top of Rocket Lab’s upcoming Venus mission, Relativity’s/Impulse’s planned Mars mission, and a bunch of different public/private missions to the Moon.
A new Hubble with modern instruments is definitely needed. Grace Roman can fill some of that gap, being an optical/near infrared telescope as well, but this may be a more direct successor.
Didn’t James Webb replace the Hubble already?
Maybe this is the point where we realize these people have WAY too much money.
Way better than sending your new girlfriend into sort of space. Science that will benefit the world for decades.
Just watched a video yesterday talking about how the telescope that actually most needs replacing is Chandra, but I guess this is fine.
Wouldn’t have had to if he had just paid his taxes anyway
Cool.. cool.. I don’t think anyone should have that much money though.
I’m for it. He’s got the money and we can always use another set of eyes into the universe.
This is cool and I’ll always celebrate more funding for science, but I thought the JWST was the “new Hubble”?
wouldn’t it be more cool if all these rich people paid way more money? then the american tax payer would be less burdened and we could afford to pay our debt. then we could fund these projects collectively instead of worshipping a billionaire for their generosity. glad this project is getting done but we need to tax the rich.