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NASA's Hubble Space
Telescope in Earth orbit. Credit: NASA
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Ken Kremer
-- SpaceUpClose.com -- 9 October 2018
TITUSVILLE, FL – NASA’s premiere space observatory, the Hubble Space Telescope, entered safe mode after suffering a serious glitch with one its onboard gyroscopes this past Friday, Oct. 5. One of the current gyros used to aim and stabilize the telescope has failed.
"Hubble entered safe mode after one of the three gyroscopes (gyros) actively being used to point and steady the telescope failed,” NASA announced in a statement yesterday, Oct. 8.
Hubble is equipped with a six gyroscopes altogether and they were all replaced during the final servicing mission (SM-4) by spacewalking Space Shuttle astronauts during five EVA’s on the STS-125 mission launched in 2009.
The first indication of a problem came over the weekend in a
series of tweets by Dr. Rachel Osten, Deputy
Mission Head for the Hubble Space Telescope at the Space Telescope Science
Institute, on Oct. 7.
“It's true. Very stressful weekend. Right now HST is in safe mode while we figure out what to do. Another gyro failed. First step is try to bring back the last gyro, which had been off, and is being problematic.”
However, officials expect Hubble to resume normal science observations soon as the operations team works to diagnose the problem, since the telescope is equipped with back up gyros.
“NASA is working to resume science operations of the Hubble Space Telescope after the spacecraft entered safe mode on Friday, October 5, shortly after 6:00 p.m. EDT. Hubble’s instruments still are fully operational and are expected to produce excellent science for years to come.”
Hubble is programmed to enter safe mode and “a stable configuration until ground control can correct the issue and return the mission to normal operation”.
Normally Hubble operates with three of the six gyros while holding the others in reserve to conserve them for the future and extend Hubble’s lifetime to the maximum extent possible.
However, engineers have developed procedures to continue making productive observation with just one.
To date 2 of the 6 gyros have completely failed. This would make for three if it cant be revived.
The remaining three are all enhanced gyros and redesigned for longer life – thus the hope for many years of productive science yet to come.
NASA says that the failed gyro “had been exhibiting end-of-life behavior for approximately a year, and its failure was not unexpected; two other gyros of the same type had already failed. The remaining three gyros available for use are technically enhanced and therefore expected to have significantly longer operational lives.”
“Two of those enhanced gyros are currently running. Upon powering on the third enhanced gyro that had been held in reserve, analysis of spacecraft telemetry indicated that it was not performing at the level required for operations. As a result, Hubble remains in safe mode. Staff at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and the Space Telescope Science Institute are currently performing analyses and tests to determine what options are available to recover the gyro to operational performance.”
“Science operations with Hubble have been suspended while NASA investigates the anomaly. An Anomaly Review Board, including experts from the Hubble team and industry familiar with the design and performance of this type of gyro, is being formed to investigate this issue and develop the recovery plan. If the outcome of this investigation results in recovery of the malfunctioning gyro, Hubble will resume science operations in its standard three-gyro configuration.”
“If the outcome indicates that the gyro is not usable, Hubble will resume science operations in an already defined “reduced-gyro” mode that uses only one gyro. While reduced-gyro mode offers less sky coverage at any particular time, there is relatively limited impact on the overall scientific capabilities.”
Watch for Ken’s
continuing onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin,
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Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and Wallops Flight Facility,
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Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com
Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area.
………….
TITUSVILLE, FL – NASA’s premiere space observatory, the Hubble Space Telescope, entered safe mode after suffering a serious glitch with one its onboard gyroscopes this past Friday, Oct. 5. One of the current gyros used to aim and stabilize the telescope has failed.
"Hubble entered safe mode after one of the three gyroscopes (gyros) actively being used to point and steady the telescope failed,” NASA announced in a statement yesterday, Oct. 8.
Hubble is equipped with a six gyroscopes altogether and they were all replaced during the final servicing mission (SM-4) by spacewalking Space Shuttle astronauts during five EVA’s on the STS-125 mission launched in 2009.
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Launch of STS-125 and orbiter Atlantis on the final Space
Shuttle mission (SM-4) to repair and upgrade NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope on 11
May 2009. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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“It's true. Very stressful weekend. Right now HST is in safe mode while we figure out what to do. Another gyro failed. First step is try to bring back the last gyro, which had been off, and is being problematic.”
However, officials expect Hubble to resume normal science observations soon as the operations team works to diagnose the problem, since the telescope is equipped with back up gyros.
“NASA is working to resume science operations of the Hubble Space Telescope after the spacecraft entered safe mode on Friday, October 5, shortly after 6:00 p.m. EDT. Hubble’s instruments still are fully operational and are expected to produce excellent science for years to come.”
Hubble is programmed to enter safe mode and “a stable configuration until ground control can correct the issue and return the mission to normal operation”.
Normally Hubble operates with three of the six gyros while holding the others in reserve to conserve them for the future and extend Hubble’s lifetime to the maximum extent possible.
However, engineers have developed procedures to continue making productive observation with just one.
To date 2 of the 6 gyros have completely failed. This would make for three if it cant be revived.
The remaining three are all enhanced gyros and redesigned for longer life – thus the hope for many years of productive science yet to come.
NASA says that the failed gyro “had been exhibiting end-of-life behavior for approximately a year, and its failure was not unexpected; two other gyros of the same type had already failed. The remaining three gyros available for use are technically enhanced and therefore expected to have significantly longer operational lives.”
“Two of those enhanced gyros are currently running. Upon powering on the third enhanced gyro that had been held in reserve, analysis of spacecraft telemetry indicated that it was not performing at the level required for operations. As a result, Hubble remains in safe mode. Staff at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and the Space Telescope Science Institute are currently performing analyses and tests to determine what options are available to recover the gyro to operational performance.”
“Science operations with Hubble have been suspended while NASA investigates the anomaly. An Anomaly Review Board, including experts from the Hubble team and industry familiar with the design and performance of this type of gyro, is being formed to investigate this issue and develop the recovery plan. If the outcome of this investigation results in recovery of the malfunctioning gyro, Hubble will resume science operations in its standard three-gyro configuration.”
“If the outcome indicates that the gyro is not usable, Hubble will resume science operations in an already defined “reduced-gyro” mode that uses only one gyro. While reduced-gyro mode offers less sky coverage at any particular time, there is relatively limited impact on the overall scientific capabilities.”
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STS-125 astronaut crew during walkout to orbiter Atlantis
on the final Space Shuttle mission (SM-4) to repair and upgrade NASA’s Hubble
Space Telescope on 11 May 2009. Credit: Ken
Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com
Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area.
………….
Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events
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sale:
Learn more about the upcoming upcoming/recent ULA/USAF AEHF-4 milsatcom, NASA/ULA Parker Solar Probe, SpaceX Merah Putih & Telstar 18 & 19 launches, SpaceX Falcon 9/CRS-15 launch to ISS, Falcon Heavy, NASA TESS, GOES-S, NASA missions, ULA Atlas & Delta launches, SpySats and more at Ken’s upcoming outreach events at Kennedy Space Center Quality Inn, Titusville, FL, evenings.
Oct 13, 15-17: “ULA/USAF AEHF-4 milsatcom, NASA/ULA Parker Solar Probe launch, SpaceX Merah Putih & Telstar 18v & 19v Launches, SpaceX Dragon CRS-15 resupply launch to ISS, SpaceX Falcon Heavy & Falcon 9 launches, SpaceX SES-12 comsat. ULA Atlas USAF SBIRS GEO 4 missile warning satellite, NRO & USAF Spysats, SLS, Orion, Boeing and SpaceX Commercial crew capsules, OSIRIS-Rex, Juno at Jupiter, InSight Mars lander, Curiosity and Opportunity explore Mars, NH at Pluto and more,” Kennedy Space Center Quality Inn, Titusville, FL, evenings. Photos for sale
Learn more about the upcoming upcoming/recent ULA/USAF AEHF-4 milsatcom, NASA/ULA Parker Solar Probe, SpaceX Merah Putih & Telstar 18 & 19 launches, SpaceX Falcon 9/CRS-15 launch to ISS, Falcon Heavy, NASA TESS, GOES-S, NASA missions, ULA Atlas & Delta launches, SpySats and more at Ken’s upcoming outreach events at Kennedy Space Center Quality Inn, Titusville, FL, evenings.
Oct 13, 15-17: “ULA/USAF AEHF-4 milsatcom, NASA/ULA Parker Solar Probe launch, SpaceX Merah Putih & Telstar 18v & 19v Launches, SpaceX Dragon CRS-15 resupply launch to ISS, SpaceX Falcon Heavy & Falcon 9 launches, SpaceX SES-12 comsat. ULA Atlas USAF SBIRS GEO 4 missile warning satellite, NRO & USAF Spysats, SLS, Orion, Boeing and SpaceX Commercial crew capsules, OSIRIS-Rex, Juno at Jupiter, InSight Mars lander, Curiosity and Opportunity explore Mars, NH at Pluto and more,” Kennedy Space Center Quality Inn, Titusville, FL, evenings. Photos for sale
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STS-125 mission logo
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