The Hubble Space Telescope is operational again after spending more than a month in “safe mode” due to a computer failure. NASA has managed to stir the problem by activating backup hardware incorporated into the 11-ton cylindrical apparatus orbiting the Earth. However, the task has not been easy at all since he has understood different tests and diagnoses until he found the correct solution.
The problems began on June 13 when Hubble’s main computer stopped working. It is an apparatus of the eighties whose function is to control and monitor all the scientific instruments of the telescope. Engineers first tried to get the computer back online, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Consequently, they began to think that the problem could be caused by another piece of hardware.
Fortunately, the POT I was prepared for these kinds of scenarios. Hubble has “twin” components to back up if the originals fail. However, activating one of these is not as easy as it sounds. As it is a remote task, there is no margin for error and the operators do not see what is happening. The codes running on the telescope must do exactly what they are intended to do, otherwise they could compromise other systems.
Hubble is rebooting
This Friday the US space agency successfully started the backup hardware, so Hubble slowly began to “come back to life.” The procedure included bringing the Power Control Unit (PCU) and Scientific Data Command Unit (CU / SDF) online. The first controls the energy that is sent to the components while the second works with commands and data. This maneuver solved the problem, but surprisingly, it is not yet clear which part failed.
Apparently the PCU would have caused the payload computer to shut down. This due to a wrong electricity voltage. Right now the telescope is monitoring its hardware to make sure everything is working properly. The team is also trying to get science instruments that went into “safe mode” to work normally again. As it involves many steps, to NASA believe that Hubble will be fully operational after several hours or days.