{"id":18324,"date":"2018-10-09T01:42:35","date_gmt":"2018-10-08T17:42:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/hubble-space-telescope-goes-into-safe-mode-due-to-failed-gyro-plan-b-pending\/"},"modified":"2018-10-09T01:42:35","modified_gmt":"2018-10-08T17:42:35","slug":"hubble-space-telescope-goes-into-safe-mode-due-to-failed-gyro-plan-b-pending","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/hubble-space-telescope-goes-into-safe-mode-due-to-failed-gyro-plan-b-pending\/","title":{"rendered":"Hubble Space Telescope goes into safe mode due to failed gyro; Plan B pending"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Hubble
The Hubble Space Telescope gets its final close-up after a shuttle servicing mission in 2009. (NASA Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The 28-year-old Hubble Space Telescope is temporarily out of service, due to the failure of one of its gyroscopic pointing devices, but scientists say they\u2019re working on a Plan B.<\/p>\n

Today NASA confirmed reports that Hubble scientists such as deputy mission head Rachel Osten were passing along over the weekend: One of the telescope\u2019s three active gyros had failed on Friday, which hampered the telescope\u2019s ability to point at astronomical targets for long periods.<\/p>\n

NASA said that Hubble\u2019s instruments were still fully operational, and that mission managers were working to address the gyro issue:<\/p>\n

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\u201cBuilt with multiple redundancies, Hubble had six new gyros installed during Servicing Mission-4 in 2009. Hubble usually uses three gyros at a time for maximum efficiency, but can continue to make scientific observations with just one.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe gyro that failed 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Only two of those enhanced gyros are currently running. The third one hasn\u2019t been performing at the level required for operations, NASA said. Experts at NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center and the Space Telescope Science Institute are analyzing the situation and conducting tests to find out whether the third gyro can be recovered.<\/p>\n

If it can\u2019t be recovered, Hubble will go into one-gyro mode, and hold the second working gyro in reserve. \u201cWhile reduced-gyro mode offers less sky coverage at any particular time, there is relatively limited impact on the overall scientific capabilities,\u201d NASA said.<\/p>\n