NASA reports trouble with Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope, which include been peering into the universe for a lot more than 30 years, has been down for recent days, NASA said Friday.
The problem is a payload computer that stopped working last Sunday, the US space agency said.
It insisted the telescope itself and scientific instruments that accompany it are "in good health."
"The payload computer's purpose is to control and coordinate the science instruments and monitor them for medical health insurance and safety purposes," NASA said.
An attempt to restart it on Monday failed.
NASA said initial evidence pointed to a degrading computer memory module as the foundation of the computer problem.
An attempt to improve to a back-up memory module also failed.
The technology for the payload computer dates back to the 1980s, and it was replaced during maintenance work in '09 2009 2009.
Launched in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope revolutionized the world of astronomy and changed our vision of the universe because it repaid images of the solar system, the Milky Way and distant galaxies.
A new and better one, called the James Webb Space Telescope, is scheduled to be deployed late this season. It is made to peer deeper into the cosmos than previously.
Source: www.thejakartapost.com
