Per week in the past the tragedy occurred: Hubble entered protected mode due to an issue with the interior computer. The area telescope that has given us a few of the most necessary astronomical discoveries in historical past, all of the sudden ceased to be operational. Now NASA has a plan to get it again, if it goes in accordance to idea.
The area telescope payload computer stopped its operations on June 13 and it routinely entered protected mode. Which means that in idea the telescope continues to be working, but it surely won’t activate or carry out operations till the computer is mounted. It’s a precautionary measure that’s taken routinely to keep away from additional injury.
Nearly a month later, Hubble nonetheless exhibits no indicators of life. Till now, NASA makes an attempt have been to restart it or exchange it with the alternative computer that Hubble has. And it’s that inside Hubble there are two similar computer systems, the second specifically positioned there in case the primary fails. It has failed, however there isn’t any approach to begin the second.
Many years-old know-how in area
The 2 nice difficulties that Hubble presents and its restore is the age of the parts and the space. We’re speaking a couple of computer that was created in 1974, 47 years in the past. The stunning factor is just not that it has stopped working, however that it has been operational till now and is positioned in a very powerful telescope on the planet.
Then again there’s the difficulty that Hubble is just not a telescope on a hill or a desert right here on Earth, is a telescope that’s in area orbiting the Earth. The answer is to restore it remotely and within the final case ship astronauts there to do it in particular person or exchange elements. However in fact, we don’t have any ships to do it since NASA’s House Shuttle stopped working.
What’s the plan then? As introduced by NASA, van try to activate the backup Command Unit / Scientific Knowledge Format (CU / SDF) from Hubble. This part is chargeable for sending and formatting instructions and knowledge within the telescope and in precept might assist to activate the backup reminiscence of the computer, thus changing the reminiscence that in precept is believed to be defective.
NASA says that within the final week they’ve been testing this process in simulations on the bottom to see whether it is possible. There may be hope and it might work because the take a look at went as anticipated. If every thing goes high quality, the change in Hubble could possibly be executed this subsequent week after ending all of the take a look at procedures corresponding. That’s, danger assessments and detailed procedures can be carried out earlier than touching something on Hubble, simply in case it goes improper and all the telescope is spoiled.
The hubble in the meantime it’ll proceed in protected mode and with out scientific observations. For greater than 4 a long time he has delighted us with spectacular photographs and making a few of the most necessary observations within the historical past of astronomy. If mounted, it’s anticipated to be helpful till 2040, though James Webb, his alternative, will arrive in area a lot earlier.
Through | POT
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