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Short Circuit Cripples a Hubble Camera
Is the end of Hubble telescope nearing its end sooner than expected?
*hubble.nasa.gov/art/zzcover/th_hubble_earth_horz.jpg
3-D animation:[/B] An artist's rendition of the Hubble Space Telescope. NASA
An electrical failure has crippled the most powerful and widely used camera aboard the Hubble Space Telescope near the end of its life expectancy, adding urgency to plans for an overhaul of the orbiting observatory by a space shuttle crew, NASA said Monday.
At most, experts can hope for only a partial restoration of the Advanced Camera for Surveys by sending commands that route electricity from a backup power source.
The powerful $75 million camera was just a month short of its five-year design life.
Hubble's total observing powers — with other cameras — cannot be fully regained until September 2008 when a team of seven shuttle astronauts is scheduled to lift off on what will be the final repair flight to the 17-year-old space telescope.
Space agency administrator Michael Griffin approved the ambitious $900 million mission on Oct. 31, reversing a decision after the 2003 Columbia tragedy to cancel the overhaul because of safety concerns.
The high-tech camera, installed by spacewalking astronauts during the most recent Hubble house call in March 2002, was used by astronomers a year later to look further into the cosmos than ever before. The ultradeep field survey of the universe offered scientists their best view yet of how galaxies evolved following the big bang, the powerful explosion that astronomers believe gave birth to the stars and planetsThe high-tech camera, installed by spacewalking astronauts during the most recent Hubble house call in March 2002, was used by astronomers a year later to look further into the cosmos than ever before. The ultra-deep field survey of the universe provided offered scientists their best view yet of how galaxies evolved following the big bang, the powerful explosion that astronomers believe gave birth to the stars and planets.
"Obviously, we are very disappointed," NASA's Preston Burch, the Hubble program manager, said Monday.
The camera suffered a short circuit early Saturday that brought an abrupt halt to all Hubble observations. The space telescope was re-activated within 24 hours and Hubble observations with two other major cameras and a third instrument are expected to resume this week, Burch said.
Nonetheless, the power problems will make it impossible to recover all but a small amount of the Advanced Camera for Surveys' original capabilities. The powerful imager accounts for two-thirds of all requests made by astronomers for observing time.
With a partial recovery, the hobbled camera should be able to join with NASA's New Horizons spacecraft for closeup studies of the aurora on Jupiter in February and March, said David Leckrone, the space agency's chief Hubble astronomer.
Courtesy: chron.com
Is the end of Hubble telescope nearing its end sooner than expected?
*hubble.nasa.gov/art/zzcover/th_hubble_earth_horz.jpg
3-D animation:[/B] An artist's rendition of the Hubble Space Telescope. NASA
An electrical failure has crippled the most powerful and widely used camera aboard the Hubble Space Telescope near the end of its life expectancy, adding urgency to plans for an overhaul of the orbiting observatory by a space shuttle crew, NASA said Monday.
At most, experts can hope for only a partial restoration of the Advanced Camera for Surveys by sending commands that route electricity from a backup power source.
The powerful $75 million camera was just a month short of its five-year design life.
Hubble's total observing powers — with other cameras — cannot be fully regained until September 2008 when a team of seven shuttle astronauts is scheduled to lift off on what will be the final repair flight to the 17-year-old space telescope.
Space agency administrator Michael Griffin approved the ambitious $900 million mission on Oct. 31, reversing a decision after the 2003 Columbia tragedy to cancel the overhaul because of safety concerns.
The high-tech camera, installed by spacewalking astronauts during the most recent Hubble house call in March 2002, was used by astronomers a year later to look further into the cosmos than ever before. The ultradeep field survey of the universe offered scientists their best view yet of how galaxies evolved following the big bang, the powerful explosion that astronomers believe gave birth to the stars and planetsThe high-tech camera, installed by spacewalking astronauts during the most recent Hubble house call in March 2002, was used by astronomers a year later to look further into the cosmos than ever before. The ultra-deep field survey of the universe provided offered scientists their best view yet of how galaxies evolved following the big bang, the powerful explosion that astronomers believe gave birth to the stars and planets.
"Obviously, we are very disappointed," NASA's Preston Burch, the Hubble program manager, said Monday.
The camera suffered a short circuit early Saturday that brought an abrupt halt to all Hubble observations. The space telescope was re-activated within 24 hours and Hubble observations with two other major cameras and a third instrument are expected to resume this week, Burch said.
Nonetheless, the power problems will make it impossible to recover all but a small amount of the Advanced Camera for Surveys' original capabilities. The powerful imager accounts for two-thirds of all requests made by astronomers for observing time.
With a partial recovery, the hobbled camera should be able to join with NASA's New Horizons spacecraft for closeup studies of the aurora on Jupiter in February and March, said David Leckrone, the space agency's chief Hubble astronomer.
Courtesy: chron.com
