So the space shuttle resumed operations this week, and was promptly grounded again (despite the fact that there's a shuttle in orbit still -- neat trick, that). I've written previously about the ups and downs of the prospects of a Hubble servicing mission, and how new NASA director Mike Griffin had put into motion a group to plan the previously cancelled servicing mission. It would need to go up by the end of 2006 or so. Given the problem with the foam still falling off the external tank that caused the recent grounding, and the fact that they've already spent a couple of years on this problem, I think the chances we had for Hubble servicing have vanished. I had this thought a few minutes after hearing about the falling foam, and after a few more days it seems even more likely. The next round of Hubble proposals will probably be the last. It's a shame. I got my first image from my new Hubble program, and it's spectacular. I'll see if I can get it posted next week, but it basically shows an interacting galaxy system I've targeted for its extreme nuclear and starforming activity. The system looks great already from Sloan Digial Sky Survey imaging, but HST blows it away.