If these telescopes have to be equipped with instruments, what is left? The optical system? Thats nothing compared to the instruments.
Better in terms of optical system would mean an order of magnitude at least. This is obsolete, more or less, because ground based instruments come closer to a proper correction of atmospheric turbulences. They are cheaper to build and cheaper to run. The next generation optical space telescope may be a very long baseline interferometer. This cannot be build on earth.
Infrared is also a space domain. Thats why Herschel, ISO, Spitzer and James W. Webb are space telescopes.
If these telescopes have to be equipped with instruments, what is left? The optical system? Thats nothing compared to the instruments.
Better in terms of optical system would mean an order of magnitude at least. This is obsolete, more or less, because ground based instruments come closer to a proper correction of atmospheric turbulences. They are cheaper to build and cheaper to run. The next generation optical space telescope may be a very long baseline interferometer. This cannot be build on earth.
Infrared is also a space domain. Thats why Herschel, ISO, Spitzer and James W. Webb are space telescopes.