Images from ground-based telescopes are invariably distorted by the Earth' s atmosphere. Orbiting space telescopes, however, operating above Earth' s atmosphere, should provide superbly detailed images. Ttherefore, ground-based telescopes will soon become obsolete for advanced astronomical research purposes.
The statement "Detailed spectral analyses, upon which astronomers rely for determining the chemical composition and evolutionary history of stars, require telescopes with more light-gathering capacity than space telescopes can provide" would cast the most doubt on the conclusion drawn above.