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NASA's Hubble Space Telescope Returns to Science Operations
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope returned to normal operations late Friday, Oct. 26, and completed its first science observations on Saturday, Oct. 27 at 2:10 AM EDT. The observations were of the distant, star-forming galaxy DSF2237B-1-IR and were taken in infrared wavelengths with the Wide Field Camera 3 instrument. The return to conducting science comes after successfully recovering a backup gyroscope, or gyro, that had replaced a failed gyro three weeks earlier.
[...] On Thursday, the operations team conducted further maneuvers to collect gyro calibration data. On Friday, Hubble performed activities similar to science observations, including rotating to point at different sky locations, and locking on to test targets. The team completed all of these activities without issue.
Late Friday, the team began the process to restore the scientific instruments to standard operating status. Hubble successfully completed maneuvers to get on target for the first science observations, and the telescope collected its first science data since Oct. 5.
Hubble is now back in its normal science operations mode with three fully functional gyros. Originally required to last 15 years, Hubble has now been at the forefront of scientific discovery for more than 28 years. The team expects the telescope will continue to yield amazing discoveries well into the next decade, enabling it to work alongside the James Webb Space Telescope.
Also at SpaceNews and Spaceflight Insider.
Previously: Hubble Telescope Placed into Safe Mode after Gyroscope Failure
Long-Dormant Gyroscope on the Hubble Telescope Apparently Fixed
(Score: 2) by bzipitidoo on Monday October 29 2018, @04:41PM (1 child)
Great that the space telescope is still usable and this problem with the gyros could be overcome. But for a fraction of the amount of money that's been blown on the ISS, to say nothing of military spending, we could have had a dozen space telescopes up.
What's the plan for when the Hubble finally dies? Let it deorbit and crash like Skylab? Guess we can't send a space shuttle up to be a garbage truck for it.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by takyon on Monday October 29 2018, @08:40PM
If BFR is flying, it should be feasible and relatively cheap to authorize a controlled landing of Hubble. But really, space telescopes are always most useful in space, even if Hubble eventually drops from best in class to #37 or something. We should figure out ways to send cheap robotic servicing missions to fix faulty telescopes. A reusable BFR or smallsat launcher could be used to send the payload.
Hubble benefited from having multiple manned servicing missions, which fixed the fatal optical problem and repeatedly upgraded the instruments and gyros. I don't get why we haven't tried to build massive space telescopes attached or tethered to the International Space Station. Even if the field of view is limited by the station blocking it, it would be able to look at a large amount of the solar system and universe. It could be built by astronauts using modules sent by multiple launches, so it could be made much bigger than even JWST, without potentially fatal mirror unfolding issues. And it could be serviced by astronauts as long as the station isn't abandoned or deorbited. If we build LOP-G, it should have a space telescope attached. China already has plans for a space telescope [wikipedia.org] in the vicinity of its upcoming space station. It's probably too late to put a large space telescope on the ISS since the fate of the ISS after 2028-2030 could be a deorbit and burn.
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