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Hubble's Main Camera Stops Working

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  • Hubble's Main Camera Stops Working

    The Hubble Space Telescope's showcase ACS camera has been offline since Monday, June 19.


    The Hubble Space Telescope's showcase camera has been offline since Monday, June 19.
    Managers are scrambling to use the observatory's other cameras as science operations continue.

    Meanwhile, engineers have yet to figure out what caused the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) to go into "safe mode," essentially a sleep state that prevents normal operations. But the outlook is bright.

    "We're very optimistic" that the camera will be fixed, said Ed Ruitberg, associate program manager for Hubble at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

    Ruitberg told SPACE.com that some potential causes have been ruled out and that the problem is likely with a low-voltage power supply interface, something between the batteries and a camera component. If that's the case, then redundant electronics can be relied on to bypass the problem area.

    "We're still investigating the problem and working on all sorts of contingencies," said Max Mutchler at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, where Hubble's science operations are run. "We're hoping for the best but preparing for other contingencies."

    The ACS, installed on the orbiting observatory by astronauts in 2002, has gone into safe mode "more than once" recently, Mutchler said, but this time the problem is more serious.
    Dr. Mordrid
    Dr. Mordrid
    ----------------------------
    An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

    I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps
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