posted on Feb, 25 2005 @ 03:43 AM
Though all efforts at either a robotic or human led servicing mission to Hubble have been oficially cancelled, Nasa's engineers obviously believe in
the old saw that "It aint over till the fat lady sings" Shortly after the Columbia disaster Nasa engineers began working on a software fix which
would allow hubble to accurately focus with only two gyroscopes, as opposed to the three it was designed to use. With only four functoning gyros (one
currently in standby mode as a backup) this could mean up to an extra year of operations by the most successful telescope ever fielded.Recent tests of
the two gyroscope configuration have been described by Edward Weiler, director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, US.
"But I just got a report the test worked so well it's almost embarrassing. It's a real success story."
www.newscientist.com...
Engineers are testing whether the Hubble Space Telescope should clip its own wings in an attempt to survive as long as possible without a servicing
mission. Preliminary results suggest the new, scaled-down operating mode will buy the telescope an extra year of life - possibly until the end of 2008
- without sacrificing too much science.
The telescope was originally designed to use three of its six gyroscopes to point and stabilise itself in space. But these devices regularly break
down - astronauts have replaced them twice. Now, the 15-year-old observatory has only four working gyroscopes - including one in "standby" mode in
case of another failure.
Unless the US Congress intervenes or NASA reverses course, the telescope will have to rely on those four gyros for as long as possible before a robot
is sent up to "de-orbit" the telescope - sending it crashing safely into the ocean.
Please visit the link provided for the complete story.
Though there is virtually no chance of a rescue mission being reinstated this should at least ensure that Hubble is operating till the very end of
its life, Much like the pope neither Hubble nor its engineers are going to retire quietly, no matter how hard things may get. Good job Nasa.
[edit on 25-2-2005 by mwm1331]
[edit on 25-2-2005 by mwm1331]
[edit on 25-2-2005 by mwm1331]
[edit on 25-2-2005 by mwm1331]