Hubble Space Telescope has gone into ‘safe mode’, Here’s NASA’s plan to keep it alive by changing how it points the Hubble Space Telescope

After a gauntlet of tests and even more careful analysis of the choices, NASA said it has started work to transition its Hubble Space Telescope to a single-gyro operating mode. During the telecon, Stallmer explained that “while the telescope went into safe mode May 24, where it now remains until work is complete, this change enables Hubble to continue exploring the mysteries of the universe into the next decade with the majority of its observations unaffected by Of the six gyros are currently on board the spacecraft, three remain active. They determine how fast the telescope turns and are included in the system used to guide and stabilize the direction the telescope is observing.

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One of these gyros has shown behaviors over the past six months. It would give erroneous readings producing rates a thousand times larger than the actual rates, forcing the spacecraft to enter into safe mode repeatedly and suspending science observations while the telescope awaits new instructions from the ground. This one gyro is at “saturation,” whereby it reports the maximum slew rate value, irrespective of how fast the spacecraft is slewing.

The team has managed, at least several times by now, to reset the gyro’s electronics and restore good readings fully. This has represented only a temporary remedy until the problem crops up again, as it did once more in late May. NASA returns to science operations; NASA is getting the spacecraft back to work in the preferred operational mode it has long considered: Hubble will operate on only one gyro, while another gyro is kept both as a primary and backup. The onboard instruments are six new gyros installed during the fifth and final space shuttle servicing mission in 2009.

Three of those gyros are still operational, including the one that has been producing strange readings and is now being watched by the team. Hubble makes use of three gyros for greatly improved efficiency, but it is capable of doing scientific observations with just one gyro. NASA first developed this plan over 20 years ago as the best operational mode to prolong Hubble’s life and allow it to provide consistent science with fewer than three working gyros successfully.

Hubble previously operated in two-gyro mode, which is negligibly different from one-gyro mode from 2005-2009. One-gyro operations were demonstrated in 2008 for a short time without impacting science observation quality. “While continuing to make science observations in one-gyro mode, there are some expected minor limitations,” NASA officials wrote. “The observatory will require more time, for example, to move from one target to another and — depending on the sky locations of targets — wait for a suitable time to perform science observations. Also, it will not be able to track moving objects closer than Mars, though these are rare targets for Hubble.

The move will reconfigure the spacecraft and its ground system, followed by testing the changes. The assessment includes what impacts will likely be borne on future planned observations. Team members expect to start doing science with Hubble again by mid-June. Once in one-gyro mode, NASA estimates that Hubble will continue making discoveries of phenomena at the fringes of astronomical knowledge for years. Launched in 1990, it has a working life expectancy that has now more than doubled; it reached its 34th anniversary this year and has spent more than three decades observing the universe. Read about Hubble’s best scientific discoveries here.

What is Hubble Space Telescope (HST)?

Hubble is not just a satellite. It’s a symbol of humanity’s quest for knowledge.

JOHN GRUNSFELD, Hubble servicing mission astronaut and astronomer

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a large, space-based observatory launched into low Earth orbit by NASA on April 24, 1990, aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. It was a joint project of NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) and is named after the American astronomer Edwin Hubble. The Hubble Telescope has made significant contributions to astronomy by capturing high-resolution images of celestial objects and phenomena, leading to numerous discoveries and advancing our understanding of the universe.

Hubble was designed as a versatile observatory to explore the universe in visible, ultraviolet, and infrared wavelengths. It has studied a wide range of cosmic objects, providing views unachievable from the ground due to Earth’s atmosphere. This atmosphere not only blocks certain wavelengths but also causes stars to twinkle, blurring ground-based telescope images. Hubble, orbiting above the atmosphere, avoids these issues. Its mirror gathers light from space, capturing images and data. For its deepest images, Hubble has focused on the same sky point for days to detect the faint glow of the distant universe.

Hubble Space Telescope: Features and Design

• Primary Mirror: The Hubble features a 2.4-meter (7.9 feet) primary mirror, which collects light from cosmic objects and focuses it onto various scientific instruments.
• Instruments: Hubble is equipped with several instruments, including cameras, spectrographs, and fine guidance sensors. Notable instruments have included the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS).
• Orbit: The telescope orbits Earth at an altitude of approximately 547 kilometers (340 miles), allowing it to avoid atmospheric distortions and capture clearer images.

Hubble Space Telescope: Missions and Maintenance

• Launch and Initial Challenges: Hubble’s deployment in 1990 faced an initial setback due to a flaw in its primary mirror, causing blurry images. This issue was corrected in 1993 by a servicing mission that installed corrective optics.
• Servicing Missions: Hubble has been serviced five times by Space Shuttle missions (1993, 1997, 1999, 2002, and 2009). These missions repaired, upgraded, and replaced instruments, ensuring the telescope’s continued high performance.

The Team Behind the Discoveries of the Hubble Space Telescope’s mission

The Hubble Space Telescope project is managed and supported by a diverse team of leaders, scientists, and managers who ensure its successful operation and scientific output. Here is an overview of the key personnel involved:

Project Management Team

1. Patrick Crouse – Hubble Project Manager
2. Jim Jeletic – Deputy Project Manager
3. Chikia Barnes-Thompson – Deputy Project Manager for Resources
4. Dave Haskins – Mission Operations Manager
5. Morgan Van Arsdall – Deputy Operations Manager
6. Dr. Olivia Lupie – Instrument Systems Manager
7. Jim Reis – Ground System Manager
8. Michele Connerton – Contracting Officer
9. Lauren B. Miller – Financial Manager
10. Kimberlyn Hall – Resource Analyst

Science Office

1. Dr. Jennifer Wiseman – Senior Project Scientist
2. Dr. Richard Barry – Observatory Project Scientist
3. Dr. Kenneth Carpenter – Operations Project Scientist
4. Dr. Andrew Ptak – Deputy Operations Project Scientist

These individuals bring a range of expertise and experience to the Hubble Space Telescope project, ensuring its continued success and its contributions to our understanding of the universe.