[ad_1]
Earlier this month, both the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory were put to work with the gyroscopes used to keep them steady and pointing in the right direction.
Chandra has been in orbit since 1999. It is specially designed to detect X-ray emissions from the universe, such as exploded stars, galaxy clusters and matter around black holes. It is our most important X-ray instrument because the atmosphere prevents most X-ray energy from reaching the surface of the Earth.
Fortunately, Chandra's operations have been returned to service. Chandra is 19 years old and is expected to continue to be successful.
Meanwhile, the Hubble Space Telescope has been suffering its own gyroscope problems. The Hubble situation was a bit more because NASA engineers also tried switching to a backup gyro, but that did not perform as well.
To fix the problem, the gyro was turned on and off quickly to clear any faults. Then the spacecraft was put through a series of rapid maneuvers designed to clear any blockages in the mechanism. This "swift kick" seems to have done the trick. NASA is planning a series of additional tests and scientists are hopeful that the venerable space telescope will be fully operational soon.
Kevin D. Conod is the planetarium manager and astronomer at the Newark Museum's Dreyfuss Planetarium. For updates on the night sky, call the Newark Skyline at (973) 596-6529.
Source link
