NASA has put the Hubble Space Telescope in safe mode after one of its gyroscopes began sending faulty readings to Earth. Despite this setback, the telescope, which has been capturing stunning images of the universe since its launch in 1990, is still in good health overall.
The gyroscopes are crucial for determining the direction in which the telescope is oriented by measuring its rate of turning. However, one of these gyroscopes experienced a similar issue in November 2023 and Hubble was placed in safe mode as a result. The team operating Hubble is currently working to identify potential solutions to the gyroscope problem. If it cannot be fixed, Hubble can be reconfigured to operate using just one gyro while keeping the other as a backup. The gyroscopes were installed during Hubble’s final servicing mission in 2009 and only three remain.
NASA is optimistic that Hubble will continue to make significant discoveries despite these challenges. In collaboration with other observatories like the James Webb Space Telescope, it expects Hubble to remain operational throughout this decade and possibly into the next, continuing to expand our understanding of the universe.
