The Hubble Space Telescope drifts through space in a picture taken from the Space Shuttle Discovery ... [+]
It’s not easy being a 34-year-old space telescope. NASA is troubleshooting an issue with the elderly Hubble Space Telescope that has put a pause on science operations. The space agency described the glitch as an “ongoing gyroscope (gyro) issue” in a statement on Friday.
The telescope went into safe mode on April 23. Safe mode is a protective mode that Hubble enters when it encounters a technical problem. It gives NASA a chance to diagnose and work on the glitch, but it also means Hubble isn’t sending back any new science data. There is some good news, though. “Hubble’s instruments are stable, and the telescope is in good health,” the agency said.
The gyros help Hubble point in the right direction. Three of Hubble’s six gyroscopes are operational, but one of those three gave faulty readings that triggered the safe mode. The same gyro previously sent the telescope into safe mode in November, so it’s a lingering problem. “The team is currently working to identify potential solutions,” NASA said. “If necessary, the spacecraft can be re-configured to operate with only one gyro, with the other remaining gyro placed in reserve.”
This was Hubble's most detailed view of the Pillars of Creation in the Eagle Nebula.
Some of the most spectacular space images of our time have come from Hubble, including the famous Pillars of Creation, a stunning view of gas and dust in a star-forming region of the Eagle Nebula. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, launched in 2021, revisited the Pillars of Creation in 2022. NASA sees Webb as a companion to Hubble rather than a replacement.
Hubble is a remarkable story of perseverance. Technical glitches have haunted the telescope since it first launched in 1990 when a flaw in the main mirror made its images blurry. NASA sent a space shuttle mission to fix the flaw. That was the first of five servicing missions that extended the telescope’s life and upgraded its capabilities. In recent years, Hubble has experienced computer problems and other troubles with its gyroscopes. Each time, NASA brought the telescope back online.
NASA teams have had their hands full with mission glitches. The Voyager 1 spacecraft, launched in 1977, is even older than Hubble. It encountered a chip glitch in November that interrupted its science work in interstellar space, but engineers have made strides in fixing the aging probe. That’s not all. The planet-hunting TESS satellite entered safe mode on April 23. NASA is still investigating the incident.
Hubble was designed for a 15-year lifespan, but handily outlived NASA’s original plans. With a long history of successful troubleshooting, the space agency is optimistic it will find a solution for the latest issue. NASA said it “anticipates Hubble will continue making groundbreaking discoveries, working with other observatories, such as the agency’s James Webb Space Telescope, throughout this decade and possibly into the next.”
