Scientists are working for the Hubble telescope to continue to function after the failure of another gyroscope

The Hubble Space Telescope went into safe mode over the weekend to allow scientists to determine what to do after a component failure. But this is not the end of the life of the famous telescope.

It's frustrating, of course, when a much-loved technology like Hubble shows its mortality. But given the importance of the mission, scientists plan to continue operating the telescope before its successor, the James Webb Space Telescope, takes flight.

Last night, Rachel Osten, assistant chief of mission of Hubble Space Telescope, confirmed rumors on Twitter that another of the telescope's six gyroscopes had failed. Gyroscopes allow the telescope, which has been in low Earth orbit since 1990, to detect rotation and stabilize.

It's a "very stressful weekend" Osten tweeted, but there are plans in place for the telescope to continue to observe the cosmos.

Hubble needs three of its gyroscopes to keep working normally. The BBC reports that it has three older and three newer ones. The failing gyro is the last of the oldest. Scientists at NASA Goddard and the Space Telescope Science Institute are trying to reactivate another of the newest gyroscopes, but they are doing it economically.

These gyroscopes have a maximum lifespan and have been replaced in previous Hubble repair missions. The failing gyroscope has already exceeded its six-month life, according to Osten, and it was planned to turn it off months ago. If there are only two gyroscopes left, the Hubble team will use the telescope with one, to maximize the possible observation time.

"Hubble is one of the largest science missions in history and has performed brilliantly for 28 years," said Grant Tremblay, an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Astrophysical Center. "Part of the reason is that the scientists and engineers who control the HST are experts in optimizing the lifespan of the facilities. Gyroscopic failures would always occur and are not at all surprising. Many pathways will lead to several years of great science by Hubble. "

The BBC reported that the use of a single gyroscope could place some limitations on the telescope and that the telescope could take longer to move. Gizmodo has contacted Osten, the Institute of Space Telescope Science and NASA Goddard for comments and will update the message to his next response.

The aging Hubble still has work to do. His successor, the James Webb Space Telescope, has faced many delays and is expected to be launched in 2021. But some have suggested another maintenance mission to keep Hubble active even after the launch of the JWST. Having both telescopes in orbit would be helpful because Hubble mainly detects visible and ultraviolet light, while JWST detects mainly in the infrared.

There is no need to worry about the existence of Hubble at the moment. The telescope is aging, which means some parts are starting to fail, but scientists are trying to bring back a third gyro or are working with an emergency plan.

Update 12:00 PM ET: Kenneth Sembach, director of the Space Telescope Science Institute, told Gizmodo that Hubble would remain in safe mode for "a moment" with off-line scientific operations this week, while the team is conducting a thorough investigation. But this is not an unexpected problem. "I think everyone expected us to experience gyro problems during the process," he said. "It's the tradition with Hubble."

He reminded us that the telescope can still operate for several years in reduced gyro mode. It's "absolutely the plan" to operate Hubble for as long as possible, perhaps until 2025 or later. Although it is the space industry and unexpected events occur, "I would never bet against Hubble".