In recent news, NASA has temporarily suspended science activities on the Hubble Space Telescope due to a faulty gyroscope. This issue has caused inaccurate readings to be sent back to Earth, prompting the telescope to enter safe mode on Tuesday. Despite this setback, NASA stated that Hubble’s instruments are stable and the overall health of the telescope is good.
The gyroscopes on Hubble are essential for determining its orientation in space by measuring its rate of rotation. This is not the first time a faulty gyro has caused Hubble to be placed in safe mode; a similar issue occurred in November 2023. Currently, Hubble’s operating team is working diligently to identify possible solutions to this problem.
If the faulty gyro cannot be repaired, Hubble can be reconfigured to operate with just one gyro, with the other gyro placed in reserve. This telescope, which celebrated its 34th anniversary in space in 2023, was fitted with gyroscopes during its final space shuttle servicing mission in 2009. Despite this setback, NASA remains confident that Hubble will continue to make groundbreaking discoveries in collaboration with other observatories.
NASA has assured the public that Hubble will remain a valuable tool for scientific research for many years to come. The agency also plans to work closely with other observatories such as the James Webb Space Telescope throughout this decade and potentially into the next. Stay updated on breaking space news, rocket launches, skywatching events and more!