Space exploration represents a tremendous technical challenge, especially when it involves spacecraft cruising around the Sun or even traveling beyond our solar system for decades. Therefore, solving technical difficulties while in motion is nothing new for aerospace engineers.
We recently reported on the iconic Voyager 1’s months-long communications issue, which sent erroneous data that NASA engineers were unable to decipher. Happily, that glitch was eventually fixed, NASA announced on April 22.
However, like the agency Revealed last weekend, the very next day, April 23, another spacecraft encountered difficulties that put it out of action. This time, it was the iconic Hubble Space Telescope that encountered problems with its gyroscope and went into safe mode, placing its scientific instruments in stable mode and awaiting commands from NASA.
This is not the first time the telescope’s gyroscopes have failed. In fact, they’re the least reliable part of the spacecraft, and that’s just another chapter two wheels are turning Docuseries that could one day be broadcast on NASA television.
One of astronomy’s holy grails, launched in 1990, it has been serving in low Earth orbit well beyond its originally designed lifespan of 15 years. All this thanks to the space shuttle’s ability to perform servicing missions for the expensive spacecraft.
The fifth and final servicing mission for Hubble was conducted in 2009. As part of the mission, all six gyroscopes on board Hubble were replaced. Three of them – which are no longer operable by now – were of the old design, while three more were redesigned for improved reliability.
One of these “new” gyros, however, has been problematic from the start, and this isn’t the first time it’s caused headaches for NASA engineers. The last time it stopped Hubble from science operations was in November. The agency is now trying to find a solution to the latest problem.
It’s important to note that in an ideal scenario, the Hubble operates with three working gyroscopes, however, it can be reconfigured to work with only one gyro (albeit with some limitations on its observing capabilities). Therefore, the engineers remain optimistic, and once repaired, they expect the telescope to continue to make breakthrough discoveries throughout this decade and possibly into the next.
The Hubble Space Telescope has made over a million observations in its 34 years of existence, and many of them have provided us with incredible images of the universe. You can watch the highlights of Hubble on NASA’s website, and if you’re interested in the latest ground-breaking technology flying into space, don’t forget to check out the 162nd edition of Paul Hill’s Rocket Launch Week.