NASA: Return To Full Capability Unlikely

The Hubble Space Telescope is in trouble again. NASA said Monday the satellite's main camera -- its most powerful -- has shut down unexpectedly and it's unlikely scientists will be able to return it to its full capability.

The Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) is the telescope's most depended upon by scientists according to NASA. The agency says it might be able to return about a third of the camera's capability by mid-February.

The problem, which occurred at around 0730 EST on January 27, appears to be a short in the camera's backup power supply. The system's software placed the Hubble's systems into "safe" mode to protect them. Scientists reset the telescope's system, but were unable to get the ACS back online.

NASA's Preston Burch told reporters via teleconference, "Obviously, we are very disappointed by this latest event because of the popularity of the ACS instrument with astronomers."

Although other instruments are available for scientific use, the ACS's wide field channel provided scientists with the ultra-deep field and the deepest views into the universe. Both that channel, however, and another high-resolution channel used for planet hunting are most likely lost for good.

NASA’s senior project scientist for Hubble David Leckrone told Space.com, "We’re not optimistic at all that those will be restored."

The crew of the September 2008 shuttle mission -- the last scheduled shuttle flight to the telescope -- is slated to make repairs to the Hubble including installing a new wide field camera.

Leckrone: "The saving grace here is that we have a superb new wide field camera coming along that was originally designed, in fact, to be a back up for ACS in case ACS failed. It was designed to work in tandem with ACS if [it] was full alive."

The new wide field camera to be installed, along with two other sensing instruments, will restore almost full functionality to Hubble. Additionally, astronauts will install new batteries, gyroscopes and a new fine guidance sensor.

Hubble's ACS has had problems in the past. In June last year the camera's primary side A electronics failed forcing a switch to its backup side B. Another problem in September forced a shutdown of the camera, but the system reset itself soon after. This latest problem is unrelated to the others according to NASA.

Interestingly, the ACS was installed by astronauts spacewalking from the shuttle Columbia in March 2002 during STS-109. That means the instrument failed just two months before the expiration of its five-year warranty.

Care to guess how much that warranty repair bill will run?

FMI: www.nasa.gov