The Hubble Space Telescope experienced a glitch this year that caused some of its functions not to work for the second time.
NASA made the announcement late Monday night, stating that the space telescope’s science instrument went into “safe mode” after experiencing synchronization issues with its internal communications.
“Science observations have temporarily been suspended while the team investigates it,” the U.S. Space Agency stated in a tweet.
“The instruments are in good health.”
The Hubble Satellite Telescope experienced a glitch the second time this season
It science instruments entered’safe mode” on October 25, after it experienced synchronization problems with internal spacecraft communications.
While the Hubble is in safe mode it does not observe any celestial objects nor collect data. However it is still powered on.
DailyMail.com was informed Wednesday by a NASA spokesperson that the Hubble remains in safe mode.
The Hubble, a spacecraft that has been in orbit for over 30 years, was first unable to work in June because of problems with a 1980s computer that controls its science instruments.
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Maryland, tried to restart their computer on June 14, after it stopped working June 13. But they ran into the exact same issue and could not get it back to work.
After problems with an 1980s-era computer controlling its science instruments, the Hubble quit working in June
After a month of being halted by technical problems, science operations on the Hubble were resumed on July 17.
The agency performed a very risky maneuver to move the Hubble to its backup computer.
The switch was made to correct a problem with the original computer’s payload on June 13. This caused the computer to stop science data collection and the computer to halt.
The switch, which started on July 15, involved bringing the backup Power Control Unit (PCU) online, as well as the backup Command Unit/Science Data Formatter (CU/SDF) on the other side of the Science Instrument and Command & Data Handling (SI C&DH) unit.
The PCU brings power to the SI C&DH components, while the CU/SDF sends and formats commands and data.
NASA added that other pieces of hardware on the Hubble were also switched to alternate interfaces to connect to the backup SI C&DH.
The backup payload computer, which was loaded with software and normal operation mode, was then turned on.
Prior to July’s switch-on, the backup payload system had not been powered up since Hubble installed it in 2009.
Hubble is a joint NASA, European Space Agency and Canadian Space Agency project that has been observing the universe over three decades.
It has collected more than 1.5million observations of the universe and published over 18,000 scientific papers based on these data.
The telescope orbits Earth at 17,000 mph (27.300kph) in low Earth orbit at approximately 340 miles altitude. This is slightly faster than the International Space Station.
Hubble was launched from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center in April 1990. It is showing more signs of age despite numerous repairs and updates made by spacewalking astronauts during NASA’s shuttle era.
The telescope’s name is Edwin Hubble, a famed astronomer who was born in Missouri in 1889. He discovered that the universe expands at a faster rate than it should.
The Hubble recently celebrated its 31st birthday in space. This was done with an image of a giant star ‘on the edge destruction’.
The Hubble is being replaced by the U.S. space agency with the $10 billion James Webb Telescope.
After months of delays the James Webb Telescope will be launched into space on December 18, 2021 on board the ESA Ariane-5 rocket.
The telescope was successfully unpacked in French Guiana earlier in the month. After a 5,800-mile journey, it will be heading into space.
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope continues to work and has made over 1.3 million observations since its mission started in 1990.
The Hubble telescope launched via Discovery, a spaceship from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, on April 24, 1990.
It is named for Edwin Hubble, famed astronomer and was born in Missouri in1889.
He is most famous for discovering the speed at which the universe expands – now called the Hubble constant.
The Hubble telescope is named after famed astronomer Edwin Hubble who was born in Missouri in 1889 (pictured)
Hubble has made more than 1.3 million observations since its mission began in 1990 and helped publish more than 15,000 scientific papers.
It orbits Earth at 17,000mph (27.300kph) in low Earth orbit at approximately 340 miles altitude.
Hubble’s pointing accuracy can be measured at.007 arcseconds. This is similar to being able beam a laser beam towards Franklin D. Roosevelt from 200 miles (320km).
The Hubble telescope was named after Edwin Hubble, who is one of the greatest astronomers ever to have created the Hubble constant.
Hubble’s primary mirror is 2.4 meters (7 feet, 10.5 inches) across and in total is 13.3 meters (43.5 feet) long – the length of a large school bus.
Hubble’s launch in April 1990 and deployment in April 1990 was the most significant astronomy breakthrough since Galileo’s telescope.
Five servicing missions and over 25 years of operation have changed our perception of the universe and our role within it.