Apparently the Military has extra "super" Hubbles lying around to give away

[Magtig]

Does anyone else find the idea of a secret space program infuriating? Makes you wonder what the hell else they've got.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/nasa-gets-military-spy-telescopes-for-astronomy/2012/06/04/gJQAsT6UDV_story.html?hpid=z2

[Goldfoot]

Does anyone else find the idea of a secret space program infuriating? Makes you wonder what the hell else they've got.

I was discussing this with a friend the other day. We had been talking about NASA's plans to put up a telescope like this, and then the military is just like, "Here, want these?" It is rather disturbing that they are building such powerful telescopes with the intent of pointing them the wrong way.

[Corvus T. Cosmonaut]

Why is the idea infuriating?

[Fixer808]

Because NASA has to scrimp and save for its own giant telescopes to use for peaceful scientific research, whereas these giant telescopes were just kickin' it in a warehouse because the military hadn't ever bothered to fire them into space (and even when they got to space they'd be using them to creep everybody at once).

[dpeters]

Did anyone read the article?

they’re a long way from being functioning space telescopes. They have no instruments — there are no cameras, for example

[Goldfoot]

Did anyone read the article?

Yes, and that doesn't change the fact that the military was developing them. Just because they didn't end up using these two doesn't mean they aren't working on other pieces of equipment that can do what these were intended for. They could even have better ones, and are just giving away stuff they aren't going to use. It also doesn't change the fact that the military has enough money to essentially throw away equipment that NASA has been struggling to develop.