Hubble Space Telescope temporarily halted science operations after a gyroscope malfunctioned and began sending faulty readings to Earth. Despite this setback, NASA has reported that the telescope’s instruments are stable and its overall health is good. The gyroscopes are critical for determining the telescope’s orientation by measuring its rate of turning. This particular gyro experienced a similar issue in November 2023, resulting in Hubble being placed in safe mode.
NASA is currently working with the Hubble team to identify potential solutions to the gyroscope problem. If the faulty gyro 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 malfunctioning one.
Despite these challenges, NASA remains optimistic about Hubble’s future and expects it to continue making 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.
