The Hubble Space Telescope is back to full operations following several weeks in safe mode due to a problem with one of its components.
The Hubble Space Telescope is back to full operations after spending several weeks in safe mode due to a problem with one of its components. The telescope first experienced issues with one of its gyros on November 19, and was in and out of safe mode several times in the following days. It has remained in safe mode since November 23, but came back online on Friday, December 8.
The problem was caused by one of the telescope’s three operational gyros, which are devices that help to point the telescope in the right direction. Although it would have been possible to operate the telescope with just one of these, that would have resulted in lost observing time as it would take longer to move the telescope to a new target between observations.
