NASA has announced that its 30-year-old iconic space telescope has stopped working and paused all scientific operations following a gyro error.
According to a blog post by the space agency, the Hubble Space Telescope recently experienced a situation where it transitioned into a safe mode on November 23. The reason behind this occurrence was an ongoing problem with one of its gyroscopes, which are responsible for measuring the telescope’s turn rates.
It is worth mentioning that despite this issue, the overall health of the space telescope’s instruments remains intact and unaffected. The transition to safe mode was an automated response triggered by the detection of faulty readings from one of the three gyroscopes. This mode ensures the safety and stability of the telescope by allowing it to maintain its intended direction.
NASA is working to resume science operations of the Hubble Space Telescope after it entered safe mode Nov. 23 due to an ongoing gyroscope issue. Hubble’s instruments are stable, and the telescope is in good health: https://t.co/QOdJJ9WjYh pic.twitter.com/URRHYV3Le8
— Hubble (@NASAHubble) November 29, 2023
Interestingly, this is not the first time that the Hubble Space Telescope has experienced an interruption in its operations. Just a few months ago, in June, the telescope faced a similar setback when its payload computer encountered an issue, rendering it temporarily inoperative.
Upon initial recovery from the initial incident on November 19, NASA’s ground teams managed to restore the telescope to its suitable operational state. Unfortunately, the gyro problem resurfaced on the following day, November 21, resulting in another suspension of scientific activities. Despite subsequent recovery attempts, the gyro issue persisted on November 23, leading NASA to make the decision to halt all scientific operations.
NASA has not provided a timeline for resolving the gyroscope problem or restoring full functionality to the Hubble Space Telescope. However, the space agency remains dedicated to resolving the issue and ensuring that this iconic scientific instrument can resume its invaluable contributions to the field of astronomy and our understanding of the universe.
In the meantime, scientists, space enthusiasts, and the general public eagerly await updates from NASA regarding the future of the Hubble Space Telescope and the steps being taken to address the ongoing gyro issue.
