Flawed Mirror Hampers Hubble Space Telescope

Get off NASA’s case (“Hubble: Like a Shot in the Dark,” editorial, June 30). Where was The Times when the space telescope mirrors were being tested? You should have alerted us before the launch about the inadequacy of NASA’s oversight. Now, any idiot can yelp indignantly through a haze of self-righteous hindsight.

America has an intolerance for failure which can actually be self-defeating. To scream, as The Times has done, for cuts in its budget and increasing scrutiny may damage NASA more than serving any constructive purpose. The space telescope is a new system of incredible complexity.

Mankind has achieved progress in fits and starts as new concepts are refined, or proven unworkable and abandoned.

There will probably be more colossal failures ahead for NASA, resulting from pushing the leading edge of technology. We must be more tolerant of such failure, unless clear incompetence is proven. Perhaps all countries could form a cooperative effort on the more expensive missions, but to “punish” NASA for failure, rather than working constructively to improve its operation is dangerously shortsighted.

FRANK SHOFNER

Los Angeles