TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

NASA reports trouble with Hubble Space Telescope

The problem is a payload computer that stopped working last Sunday, the US space agency said.

News Desk (AFP)
Washington, United States
Sun, June 20, 2021

Share This Article

Change Size

 NASA reports trouble with Hubble Space Telescope In this May 14, 2009 image taken from NASA video, astronaut John Grunsfeld (left) makes a repair during the first space walk to repair the Hubble space telescope. The two astronauts from the US space shuttle Atlantis Thursday began the first of five ambitious spacewalks to overhaul the Hubble and extend its working life. The spacewalk by astronauts John Grunsfeld and Drew Feustel got under way at 1252 GMT and was scheduled to last for six to seven hours. Grunsfeld and Feustel will also replace the telescope's failing science computer. The Science Instrument Command and Data Handling system experienced a partial electronic failure in late September. (AFP/NASA)

T

he Hubble Space Telescope, which has been peering into the universe for more than 30 years, has been down for the past few days, NASA said Friday.

The problem is a payload computer that stopped working last Sunday, the US space agency said.

It insisted the telescope itself and scientific instruments that accompany it are "in good health."

"The payload computer's purpose is to control and coordinate the science instruments and monitor them for health and safety purposes," NASA said.

An attempt to restart it on Monday failed.

NASA said initial evidence pointed to a degrading computer memory module as the source of the computer problem.

An attempt to switch to a back-up memory module also failed.

The technology for the payload computer dates back to the 1980s, and it was replaced during maintenance work in 2009.

Launched in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope revolutionized the world of astronomy and changed our vision of the universe as it sent back images of the solar system, the Milky Way and distant galaxies.

A new and more powerful one, called the James Webb Space Telescope, is scheduled to be deployed late this year. It is designed to peer deeper into the cosmos than ever before.

{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.