The Hubble Space Telescope, an icon of astronomical discovery, has successfully navigated through its latest challenge posed by one of its gyroscopes. On May 24, the telescope automatically entered safe mode due to faulty telemetry readings from one of its three operational gyroscopes. This event halted scientific operations and triggered NASA's decision to transition the telescope to a previously planned single-gyro mode.
NASA officials, during a teleconference, confirmed that Hubble would now operate using only one of its two remaining gyroscopes, holding the other as a backup to preserve the telescope’s operations into the 2030s. Hubble Project Manager Patrick Crouse reassured that although this would lead to some limitations in observational capabilities, it would ensure the longevity of this venerable instrument. “We still believe there's very high reliability and likelihood that we can operate Hubble very successfully ... into the 2030s,” he stated.
Mark Clampin, director of NASA's Astrophysics Division, elaborated on the necessity of the single-gyro mode, emphasizing that it is the most viable option to prolong the telescope's life. He also disclosed that a proposed commercial mission to reboost Hubble using a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft had been examined but decided against, at least for now. This mission, suggested by Jared Isaacman, a billionaire and commercial space flight advocate, aimed to elevate the telescope to a higher altitude, mitigating atmospheric drag effects and extending its operational life even further.
Despite the re-boost mission’s potential benefits, NASA's careful evaluation raised concerns about risks, including the possibility of premature loss of scientific capabilities and technical challenges. Consequently, efforts to boost Hubble's orbit using commercial capabilities have been set aside for the time being.
Hubble's rich history began with its launch aboard the shuttle Discovery on April 24, 1990. Initially hampered by a famously flawed primary mirror that prevented it from bringing starlight into focus, the telescope's journey from a national embarrassment to a symbol of scientific success became a testament to human ingenuity. Spacewalking astronauts corrected the optical defect in a dramatic servicing mission that included the installation of state-of-the-art instruments and continuous upgrades, ensuring Hubble's place as a premier tool for astronomical research.
During its last servicing mission in 2009, Hubble was equipped with six new gyroscopes; three with components prone to corrosion and three enhanced ones less likely to suffer from this issue. Over the years, the gyroscopes began to fail, with all three of the older models becoming non-functional by Hubble's 30th anniversary in 2020.
Most recently, gyroscope No. 3 began exhibiting erratic behavior, leading to its deactivation and prompting the resultant shift to one-gyro operations. This decision, while reducing some efficiency and observational flexibility, is part of a strategy envisaged over two decades ago to ensure Hubble's continued scientific productivity. Engineers predict a 12% decrease in operational efficiency, but Crouse assured that
