NASA Probes Computer Outage On Hubble Space Telescope - NPR

Jun 23, 2021

In this handout from NASA, the Hubble Space Telescope is grappled to Space Shuttle Atlantis STS-125 by the shuttle's Canadian-built remote manipulator system May 13, 2009 in Space.

In this handout from NASA, the Hubble Space Telescope is grappled to Space Shuttle Atlantis STS-125 by the shuttle's Canadian-built remote manipulator system May 13, 2009 in Space.

Scientists at NASA say the Hubble Space Telescope's payload computer, which operates the spacecraft's scientific instruments, went down suddenly on June 13.

The instruments that the payload computer operates — such as the Advanced Camera for Surveys that captures images of space and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph which measures distant sources of ultraviolet light — are currently in "safe mode" and not operating

Hertz said that because Hubble was designed to be serviced by the space shuttle and the space shuttle fleet has since been retired, there are no future plans to service the outer space observatory