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The Hubble Space Telescope will transition to a new way of operating that aims to prevent the space observatory from experiencing lapses in its ability to observe the universe, according to NASA officials.
The famous telescope, which captured breathtaking images of the cosmos for 34 years, traditionally operates with six gyroscopes. These gyroscopes, or gyroscopes, are part of a system that controls and determines the direction in which the telescope is pointed, said Mark Clampin, director of the Astrophysics Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, during a press conference on Tuesday. .
As Hubble changes direction to capture images of exoplanets, galaxies and other celestial phenomena, gyroscopes measure the rate of the telescope’s movement so it ends up in the right place for the next scientific observation, Clampin said.
As the telescope aged, the gyroscopes needed to be replaced, and six new gyroscopes were installed during the last Hubble maintenance mission that astronauts aboard a NASA space shuttle conducted in 2009.
Over time, some of the gyroscopes stopped working, but three remained operational, without changing the way the telescope works — until now.
Wrong readings disrupt Hubble
Over the past six months, one of the three remaining gyroscopes returned incorrect readings that caused the telescope to go into “safe mode” several times and halt its observations of the universe, Clampin said.
The Hubble team was able to restart the gyroscope from the ground, but these fixes were temporary and the problem appeared more frequently, said Patrick Crouse, Hubble Space Telescope project manager at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
The telescope went into safe mode on May 24 after another malfunction with the problematic gyroscope, and remains so, Crouse said.
After careful consideration, the Hubble team decided to operate Hubble using a single gyroscope, and the other working gyroscope will be kept in reserve for future use, Clampin said.
The team has long considered switching the telescope to monogyre mode to extend its lifespan, after developing the plan more than 20 years ago.
“We believe this is our best approach to supporting Hubble science during this decade and next, as most observations in space will not be completely affected by this change,” said Clampin.
Hubble operated in dual-gyroscope mode from 2005 to 2009, and in single-gyroscope mode for a short period in 2008, with no impact on the quality of scientific observations. according to the agency.
The future of Hubble observations
The change doesn’t come without limitations, Crouse said.
The telescope will need more time to move and lock onto the objects it is observing, which reduces its efficiency and flexibility. It also won’t be able to track moving objects that are closer to Earth than Mars, but historically, Hubble has rarely observed such targets, Crouse said.
Now, the team will reconfigure both the telescope and the Earth system that sends information to Hubble. The goal is to restore Hubble to routine observations by mid-June.
Previously, there was a feasibility study to assess how commercial partners could help boost Hubble to a higher orbit to buy more operational time for the telescope so that Earth’s atmosphere doesn’t pull it down for a controlled reentry in the 2030s. The agency is analyzing the risks and requirements of such a maneuver, but is not moving forward with any plans for “ restart” at this time, Clampin said.
Hubble is expected to operate until the mid-2030s, with its cosmic observations complementing the work of the James Webb Space Telescope and future observatories that have not yet been launched, Clampin said.
“We don’t see Hubble as being in its last stages,” Crouse said, “and we think it’s a very capable observatory.”
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