NASA has been working on maintaining the Hubble Space Telescope, which is currently in safe mode due to a gyro issue. Even though one of the gyros caused the telescope to enter safe mode, Hubble’s instruments are stable and the telescope is in good health. The gyros measure the telescope’s turn rates and are essential in determining which direction the telescope is pointed.
This is not the first time that Hubble has entered safe mode due to an issue with a gyro. In November, a similar fault led to the telescope being in safe mode. The team is currently working on identifying possible solutions to the gyro issue. If necessary, the spacecraft can be re-configured to operate with only one gyro, with another gyro placed in reserve as backup.
During its final servicing mission in 2009, six new gyros were installed on Hubble. Currently, three of those gyros are operational, including the one experiencing fluctuations. Hubble typically uses three gyros for maximum efficiency but can still conduct science observations with just one gyro if needed. NASA expects that Hubble will continue to make significant discoveries collaborating with other observatories like James Webb Space Telescope throughout this decade and potentially into the next century.
Hubble was launched in 1990 and has been observing the universe for over three decades recently celebrating its 34th anniversary. Despite the current gyro issue, NASA remains optimistic about Hubble’s future in continuing to unveil mysteries of our universe as it continues its mission of scientific discovery and exploration beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
