The elderly Hubble Space Telescope has been on a rollercoaster ride of technical glitches and fixes—and it’s taken another dive. Hubble once again entered safe mode and suspended its science operations due to a lingering issue with one of its gyroscopes, NASA announced on May 31. It’s the latest in a string of problems that have put a crimp on Hubble’s work.
Hubble’s gyroscopes help point the telescope in the right direction. One of them has been glitching repeatedly. The latest incident happened on May 24. “The telescope automatically entered safe mode when one of its three gyroscopes gave faulty telemetry readings,” said NASA. The gyroscope also acted up in November and more recently in April. The Hubble team got the telescope back to work on April 29, but the fix didn’t last long.
It’s not all bad news. “Hubble’s instruments are stable, and the telescope is in good health,” NASA said.
A space shuttle servicing mission in 2009 replaced all of Hubble’s six gyroscopes. Currently, only three—including the glitching gyro—are still in operation. The telescope can continue functioning with only one gyroscope, but that’s not an ideal scenario. “At any given time, Hubble needs three of its six gyroscopes operating to ensure optimal efficiency,” the European Space Agency said in an explainer. “Although the telescope can operate on only one gyroscope if needed, the regions of the sky that are on view are limited.” ESA is NASA’s partner in the Hubble program.
The Hubble team has demonstrated ingenuity and resiliency in dealing with the telescope’s technical moodiness. Hubble launched in 1990 and has been repaired and updated both in person by astronauts and from afar by its team on Earth. NASA no longer operates a space shuttle program, so it can’t send astronauts to replace hardware or fix problems. The work has to be done remotely.
Every glitch leads to questions about how much longer Hubble will last. NASA has a sense of optimism about the telescope’s future. “NASA anticipates Hubble will continue making discoveries throughout this decade and possibly into the next, working with other observatories, such as the agency’s James Webb Space Telescope for the benefit of humanity,” the agency said.
NASA usually provides Hubble updates through online statements, but the agency has taken the unusual step of calling a media teleconference for June 4 “to provide an update on operations.” NASA Astrophysics Division director Mark Clampin and Hubble project manager Patrick Crouse will be participating. We can expect an update on the gyroscope problem, Hubble’s overall health and plans for the telescope’s future.
Hubble has delivered some of the most recognizable and iconic views of our universe, including the well-known Pillars of Creation image showing fingers of gas and dust in the Eagle Nebula. Both NASA and ESA regularly release new Hubble images of galaxies, stars, nebulae and even the planets in our own solar system. It’s been a science powerhouse for over 34 years. How many more will it last? That’s a question that doesn’t yet have an answer.
