Hubble Telescope Stops Operations Due To Problems With Giroscopics

Hubble is entering safe mode (photo: dock. NASA)

JAKARTA The United States (NASA) Aeronautics and Space Agency announced that the Hubble Space Telescope is entering safe mode. Currently, NASA is trying to revive the telescope.

According to a report released on Friday, April 26, the state agency said that the Hubble mission was halted due to problems with the gyroscope. Although the components of the telescope are having problems, the Hubble instrument is still functioning properly.

NASA revealed that Hubble entered a safe mode independently after one of its gyroscopes made a mistake. This telescope should have switched to safe mode to minimize damage or data loss.

The gyroscope plays an important role in Hubble's mission so that the health of these components must be considered. This telescope component, "measurs the telescope's spin speed and is part of a determining system in which direction the telescope is directed."

All Hubble data remains safe as long as the telescope is in safe mode. NASA is also trying to find the cause of damage to the gyroscope and provide Hubble directions from Earth. Without any direction, the telescope will not return to normal mode.

This is not the first time Hubble has entered a safe mode automatically. In November last year, the telescope gyroscope experienced the same problem and almost lost its function. In the end, Hubble can still operate with three gyroscopes.

NASA is investigating whether the problem with the gyroscope this time was related to the problems that occurred last November. NASA is also looking for ways to extend Hubble's age, one of which is by reducing the use of gyroscopes.

Hubble can operate with just one gyroscope. If NASA decides to do this, two other gyroscopes will be stored in reserve. In the future, if the gyroscope fails to work, Hubble still has another gyroscope.

Hubble entered safe mode when the device had its birthday, which was on April 24. Before its observation mission was stopped, Hubble had shared a portrait of the Nebulla Little Dumbell which was at a distance of 3,400 light-years.

After Hubble enters normal mode, the telescope will return to observe outer space. Hubble will also continue to work with other observatories, one of which is the James Webb Space Telescope.