The White House has eliminated funding for a mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope from its 2006 budget request and directed NASA to focus solely on de-orbiting the popular spacecraft at the end of its life, according to government and industry sources.

And here’s what really gets up my nose:

That budget request, according to government and industry sources, will not include any money for Hubble servicing but will include some money for a mission to attach a propulsion module to Hubble needed to safely de-orbit the spacecraft with a controlled re-entry into the Pacific Ocean. NASA would not need to launch such a mission before the end of the decade to guide the massive telescope safely into the ocean.

So at this point I have only two questions.

(a) What’s the difference in cost between the servicing mission package and the mission to attach the propulsion module?

and,

(b) Where do I donate?!

As for the rest of it — even expats have congresspeople and senators, and can re-elect them…or boot them the hell out. Time to hit the fax machine and remind them of the fact…