(CNN) — The Hubble Space Telescope will transition to a new way of operating that aims to prevent the space observatory from experiencing failures in its ability to observe the universe, according to NASA officials.
The historic telescope, which has captured stunning images of the cosmos for 34 years, has traditionally been powered by six gyroscopes. These gyroscopes are part of a system that controls and determines the direction in which the telescope points, said Mark Clampin, director of the Astrophysics Division within 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 speed of the telescope’s movement so that it reaches 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 servicing mission that astronauts aboard a NASA space shuttle conducted in 2009.
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope observes the universe in May 2009 after one of the space shuttle missions to service the space observatory. (Credit: NASA)
Over time, some of the gyroscopes stopped working, but three remained operational, without changing the operation of the telescope, until now.
Faulty readings disrupt Hubble
Over the past six months, one of the three remaining gyroscopes has returned faulty readings that have caused the telescope to go into “safe mode” several times and cease its observations of the universe, Clampin said.
The Hubble team has been able to reset the gyroscope from Earth, but these fixes were temporary and the problem has appeared more frequently, said Patrick Crouse, Hubble Space Telescope project manager at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt. , Maryland.
The telescope entered safe mode on May 24 after another faulty event with the problematic gyroscope, and remains that way, 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 into gyroscope 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 over this decade and into the next, as most observations in space will not be affected at all by this change,” Clampin said.
Hubble operated in two-gyro mode from 2005 to 2009, and in one-gyro mode for a brief period in 2008 with no impact on the quality of scientific observations, according to the agency.
The future of Hubble observations
Change does not come without limitations, Crouse said.
The telescope will need more time to move and fixate on 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 ground system that sends information to Hubble. The goal is to restore Hubble to its routine observations by mid-June.
Previously, there was a feasibility study to evaluate how commercial partners could help boost Hubble into a higher orbit to give the telescope more operational time so that Earth’s atmosphere doesn’t drag it into a controlled re-entry in the 2030s. The agency is analyzing the risks and requirements of such a move, but is not moving forward with any “reboost” plans at this time, Clampin said.
Hubble is expected to operate until the mid-2030s, and its cosmic observations will provide a complement to the work of the James Webb Space Telescope and future observatories that have not yet launched, Clampin said.
“We don’t see Hubble as being on its last legs,” Crouse said, “and we think it’s a very capable observatory.”
