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After spending more than a month orbitingEarthin " dependable mode,“NASA’sHubble Space Telescopeis back online once again , with all of its science instruments amply useable , according to a statement fromNASA .
Engineers revivify the artificial satellite — launched in 1990 and built with ironware from the 1980s — on Saturday ( July 17 ) after identifying a possible glitch in Hubble ’s Power Control Unit , which " guarantee a steady voltage supplying to the load computer ’s computer hardware , " according to NASA .
The Hubble Space Telescope is back online!
That payload computer of a sudden crash on June 13 , automatically taking all of the satellite ’s science instruments offline and aim them in a " safe mood " configuration , Live Science previously reported . Technicians tried but failed several times to reboot the trouble computer .
But last week , NASA locomotive engineer discovered that the source of the bug belike resides in a particular protection circumference that prevents the planet ’s Power Control Unit from sending too much or too little power to the load data processor . If the voltage supplying buy the farm beyond safe operating level , the circuit automatically severalize the payload computer to close down , accord to NASA .
Related:26 cosmic Photos from the Hubble Space Telescope ’s Ultra Deep Field
" The squad ’s analysis suggests that either the emf level from the regulator is outside of satisfactory levels ( thereby tripping the secondary protection circuit ) , or the secondary protection circumference has demean over clip and is stuck in this inhibit state,“NASA wroteon July 14 .
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NASA technicians catch around this problem by switching mental process over to the satellite ’s backup payload calculator , and activating a backup Power Control Unit .
With this backup hardware booted up , the satellite should be able to continue observing the cosmos — and hopefully work in bicycle-built-for-two with the newJames Webb Space Telescope , carry to launch later this yr — for many twelvemonth to come , agree to NASA . Scheduled distance observation that the satellite missed during its month in good musical mode will be reschedule for a later engagement , the way added .
primitively published on Live Science .
