Hubble Engineers Trying To Nut Out Anomalies
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Oct 22, 2008 On Monday, October 20, engineers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center met to discuss their next steps toward resolving two anomalies which caused the B-side of the Science Instrument Control and Data Handling System (SI C and DH-B) and the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) Solar Blind Channel (SBC) to return to a 'safe hold' status on October 16. Following that meeting, an Independent Review Team (IRT) chaired by the Director of the Wallops Flight Facility also met. The near-term focus of the HST Program's efforts and the IRT's efforts will be to assess the risks of activities needed to resume making observations with HST's three functioning science instruments prior to Servicing Mission 4. The next meeting of the full IRT will occur on October 22. Over the weekend, the Hubble team continued detailed reviews of all the data available when last week's anomalies occurred. A suspect 8-volt power source within the SBC's low voltage power supply (LVPS) reached its nominal output value just after failure of an internal check monitoring its health. Hubble engineers are evaluating alternative procedures and determining whether another attempt to restart the LVPS presents a risk to the instrument or to the planned SM4 repair of ACS's other cameras. (SI C and DH-B reactivation must precede SBC turn-on.) Intensive study of the SI C and DH-B shutdown also continues. Analyses done thus far suggest that an electrical event of unknown origin and characteristics caused a reset of both the Control Unit/Science Data Formatter-B (CU/SDF-B) and the NASA Standard Spacecraft Computer-1 (NSSC-1) Central Processing Module-B (CPM-B). Both of these modules were activated on-orbit for the first time on October 15. Additional analyses and a risk assessment of SI C and DH-B reactivation have begun. All other subsystems on Hubble are performing nominally, and astrometry observations with HST's Fine Guidance Sensors continue. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Hubble Space Telescope News and Technology at Skynightly.com
Hubble encounters further problems, delays: NASA Washington (AFP) Oct 17, 2008 New technical problems on the Hubble Space Telescope, which is currently undergoing repairs, will further delay the resumption of the telescope's regular duties, NASA officials said Friday. |
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