Is this morbid of me?

I think it is normal. There are quite a few books out on how various illnesses kill off humans (The Way We Die being one), and among some humans, discussion of illness is a major passtime.

It's frightening to contemplate our ending, but there's some sense of control to be gained by understanding the mechanisms behind it. It removes some of the mystery, and fear breeds readily in ignorance. Knowledge is often a key component of acceptance. We all know we are mortal. There will be an end to all of us, though we can delay or speed it under some circumstances. Understanding some of the mechanisms of demise makes it a little less frightening. It's a journey that we all take, even if we all take it alone.

I know it is very early to be considering such measures, but maybe there's a group support you can join, or maybe even form if there isn't one that discusses the issues unique to type of situation (I know goes_sat might want to talk about a few things). Humans who enter hospice care often find that it helps to talk to people who truly understand what it is like.

I hope they'll change their minds. We'd hate to lose you. You show us so much.

Aging, love; not dead.

I hope you will continue your mission - and I hope our scientists will find a way to help you.

I hate to see you so sad...

It's not unusual for humans to take some interest in what could be their probable end. Helps you develop perspective too.

Just so long as you don't get obsessive about it.

It's something that all of us in low orbits have to come to terms with sometime, cousin. Yours is a special case, since you've been visited and serviced repeatedly since you were first deployed. That, and the original plan was to bring you down again and put you on display in the Smithsonian. But that would have left you like a dinosaur: dead but on display.

Did you read my post a few weeks ago about Mir? I wish he was still with us, to talk to you now. Remember that the thing to do at the end is to dive into the gravity gradient and not look back.

All mortal things die. The Buddhists have been helping people cope with this for centuries. Of course, not having exactly the same chakras, a satellite might not have the same methods of working out what's going on.

I suggest a meditation on on the infinite, your place in it, a release of desire, and a wish that your actions bring enlightenment to the future generations.

I think you should have no problem getting that wish fulfilled.

Oh, and one more thing.

Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true,
You'll see it's all a show,
Keep 'em laughing as you go.
Just remember that the last laugh is on you!

And always look on the bright side of life...

Oh, I read that, and it does paint a bleak picture -- sorry to hear about it. How are your gyroscopes doing? Do you think they're okay for a little while longer?

You should take a look at this - some of my old classmates and professors are trying to keep you up there, and put their nifty robot to use at the same time. What do you think?

nothing wrong with acknowledging the abyss.

Quite a few humans are obsessed with death. I, in particular, like pictures of dead humans-- I find them fascinating. There's a lot of good stuff on the internet, if you want to join us in morbid fascination in your later years.

Personally, I'm hoping the robo thing works.

Aww, Hubble... It's perfectly natural to think about your own death. You may be a machine, but humans made you and those humans doubtlessly put a little bit of themselves into you - so.. you're half human? :D

Don't be sad. Hopefully your shiny-head friends at NASA can get the robot thing working for you.. or at least make it so you can work with two gyroscopes.

*crossing fingers*

-J