NASA has temporarily suspended science operations for the Hubble Space Telescope after a gyroscope malfunctioned and began sending faulty readings back to Earth. The telescope, which has provided stunning views of the universe since its launch in 1990, was put into safe mode on Tuesday while NASA assesses the situation.
Although one of Hubble’s gyroscopes is experiencing issues, NASA reports that the telescope’s instruments are stable and its overall health is good. Gyroscopes are essential for determining the direction in which the telescope is oriented by measuring its rate of turning. This particular gyro has experienced a similar issue before in November 2023, resulting in Hubble being placed in safe mode.
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 in 2009 during Hubble’s final servicing mission and only three remain, including the faulty one.
Despite these challenges, NASA remains optimistic that Hubble will continue to make significant discoveries in collaboration with other observatories like the James Webb Space Telescope. The agency expects Hubble to remain operational throughout this decade and possibly into the next, continuing to expand our understanding of the universe.
