Former NASA astronaut and Shuttle boss weigh in on fixing Hubble Space Telescope
(2021/07/01)
- Reference: 1625092993
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/06/30/hubble_repair/
- Source link:
Updated The outlook continues to look a little bleak for NASA's veteran Hubble telescope as a former astronaut and a Space Shuttle manager weighed in on repair options and the possibility of a fix.
NASA has remained silent on the fate of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) since an [1]admission last week that back-up computer hardware exhibited the same behavior as the primary payload computer system, which [2]unexpectedly halts and puts the spacecraft goes into safe mode, suspending scientific operations. Engineers have since spread the fault-finding net a little wider.
Writing on Twitter, former astronaut Clay Anderson gave voice to the fears of many, saying that he believed the observatory was "beyond repair."
I believe Hubble is beyond repair… [3]https://t.co/VIetiVpSPE — Clayton C. Anderson - The Ordinary Spaceman™ (@Astro_Clay) [4]June 28, 2021
NASA's take remains that the Hubble's instruments are in good shape as boffins on the ground ponder how to bring the payload computer back online.
The Register asked Anderson, a former Space Shuttle astronaut and resident of the International Space Station (ISS), if he meant not repairable on orbit (as in the old Shuttle days) or actually not recoverable. "Both," he replied.
[5]
Anderson based his opinion on his decades at NASA, both as an engineer and astronaut. While he did not rule out the possibility of a fix, he reckoned it was governed by "Clays 3 D's of Spaceflight: Danger, Difficulty, and DOLLARS!"
[6]
[7]
Wayne Hale, a former Space Shuttle Program Manager and NASA Flight Director, highlighted the challenges faced by NASA, which retired the Shuttles without replacing them with anything that matched their versatility.
I think we could easily repair Hubble if there was a LEO spacecraft that had a robot arm to hold it, an airlock to support space walkers to repair it, and could hold a crew of about 6 to do the work. Oh yes, we used to have one of those. Reusable too. — Wayne Hale (@waynehale) [8]June 29, 2021
Anderson, author of the astronaut memoir " [9]The Ordinary Spaceman ", did not lay claim to current NASA insider knowledge, having retired following STS-131, Space Shuttle Discovery's penultimate and longest mission. Others, however, remain optimistic for the prospects of the orbiting observatory.
WRT [10]#Hubble issues: just because there’s little news from [11]@NASA does not mean that all hope is lost. It is an old spacecraft and there are still many options that have yet to be taken. So dial back the gossip and cross your fingers. Hubble is still a badass telescope. [12]#astronomy [13]pic.twitter.com/aAZc83C7Yf — NASA Watch (@NASAWatch) [14]June 29, 2021
The Register asked NASA how things were going and was told that an update was in the works, but in the meantime "The Hubble operations team is working to solve the payload computer issue onboard the Hubble Space Telescope.
"The team is working to collect all the data available to them to isolate the problem and determine the best path forward for bringing the computer back to operations. At this time, there is no definitive timeline for bringing the computer back online."
[15]Hubble telescope in another tight spot: Between astrophysicists sparring over a 'dark matter deficient' galaxy
[16]America to get world's 'most powerful' AI supercomputer to create the most detailed 3D map of the universe yet
[17]James Webb Space Telescope runs one last dress rehearsal for its massive golden mirrors before heading to launchpad
[18]Worried about the Andromeda galaxy crashing into our Milky Way in four billion years? Too bad, it's quite possibly already happening
[19]Famously flawed, it is 30 years since the Hubble Space Telescope was launched
We continue to fervently hope that Anderson is mistaken and the talented team of NASA engineers come up with a solution that restores the telescope to working order, even if a visit by astronauts with spare parts is most definitely not on the cards. ®
Updated to add
On Wednesday, NASA updated its [20]webpage tracking the ongoing work to bring the telescope back to normal condition. The team is considering switching to other backup hardware within the instrument to see if that clears whatever is causing the system to lock up and stop working. Switching over to that equipment is more tricky than booting up the backup payload computer, though.
The agency stated:
The source of the computer problem lies in the Science Instrument Command and Data Handling (SI C&DH) unit, where the payload computer resides. A few hardware pieces on the SI C&DH could be the culprit(s).
The team is currently scrutinizing the Command Unit/Science Data Formatter (CU/SDF), which sends and formats commands and data. They are also looking at a power regulator within the Power Control Unit, which is designed to ensure a steady voltage supply to the payload computer’s hardware. If one of these systems is determined to be the likely cause, the team must complete a more complicated operations procedure to switch to the backup units.
Over the next week or so, the team will review and update all of the operations procedures, commands and other related items necessary to perform the switch to backup hardware. They will then test their execution against a high-fidelity simulator.
Get our [21]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/28/hubble_backup_borked/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/16/nasa_hubble_outage/
[3] https://t.co/VIetiVpSPE
[4] https://twitter.com/Astro_Clay/status/1409599992839479298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YN093dX1lI35ERHHODMBuwAAAIo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
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[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YN093dX1lI35ERHHODMBuwAAAIo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://twitter.com/waynehale/status/1409667629518753796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[9] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23493952-the-ordinary-spaceman
[10] https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hubble?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[11] https://twitter.com/NASA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[12] https://twitter.com/hashtag/astronomy?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[13] https://t.co/aAZc83C7Yf
[14] https://twitter.com/NASAWatch/status/1409951288100589573?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/29/hubble_galaxy_distance_dark_matter/
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2021/05/27/most_powerful_ai/
[17] https://www.theregister.com/2021/05/13/james_webb_last_checks/
[18] https://www.theregister.com/2020/08/28/andromeda_gas_hubble/
[19] https://www.theregister.com/2020/04/24/famously_flawed_it_is_30/
[20] https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2021/operations-underway-to-restore-payload-computer-on-nasas-hubble-space-telescope
[21] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
NASA has remained silent on the fate of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) since an [1]admission last week that back-up computer hardware exhibited the same behavior as the primary payload computer system, which [2]unexpectedly halts and puts the spacecraft goes into safe mode, suspending scientific operations. Engineers have since spread the fault-finding net a little wider.
Writing on Twitter, former astronaut Clay Anderson gave voice to the fears of many, saying that he believed the observatory was "beyond repair."
I believe Hubble is beyond repair… [3]https://t.co/VIetiVpSPE — Clayton C. Anderson - The Ordinary Spaceman™ (@Astro_Clay) [4]June 28, 2021
NASA's take remains that the Hubble's instruments are in good shape as boffins on the ground ponder how to bring the payload computer back online.
The Register asked Anderson, a former Space Shuttle astronaut and resident of the International Space Station (ISS), if he meant not repairable on orbit (as in the old Shuttle days) or actually not recoverable. "Both," he replied.
[5]
Anderson based his opinion on his decades at NASA, both as an engineer and astronaut. While he did not rule out the possibility of a fix, he reckoned it was governed by "Clays 3 D's of Spaceflight: Danger, Difficulty, and DOLLARS!"
[6]
[7]
Wayne Hale, a former Space Shuttle Program Manager and NASA Flight Director, highlighted the challenges faced by NASA, which retired the Shuttles without replacing them with anything that matched their versatility.
I think we could easily repair Hubble if there was a LEO spacecraft that had a robot arm to hold it, an airlock to support space walkers to repair it, and could hold a crew of about 6 to do the work. Oh yes, we used to have one of those. Reusable too. — Wayne Hale (@waynehale) [8]June 29, 2021
Anderson, author of the astronaut memoir " [9]The Ordinary Spaceman ", did not lay claim to current NASA insider knowledge, having retired following STS-131, Space Shuttle Discovery's penultimate and longest mission. Others, however, remain optimistic for the prospects of the orbiting observatory.
WRT [10]#Hubble issues: just because there’s little news from [11]@NASA does not mean that all hope is lost. It is an old spacecraft and there are still many options that have yet to be taken. So dial back the gossip and cross your fingers. Hubble is still a badass telescope. [12]#astronomy [13]pic.twitter.com/aAZc83C7Yf — NASA Watch (@NASAWatch) [14]June 29, 2021
The Register asked NASA how things were going and was told that an update was in the works, but in the meantime "The Hubble operations team is working to solve the payload computer issue onboard the Hubble Space Telescope.
"The team is working to collect all the data available to them to isolate the problem and determine the best path forward for bringing the computer back to operations. At this time, there is no definitive timeline for bringing the computer back online."
[15]Hubble telescope in another tight spot: Between astrophysicists sparring over a 'dark matter deficient' galaxy
[16]America to get world's 'most powerful' AI supercomputer to create the most detailed 3D map of the universe yet
[17]James Webb Space Telescope runs one last dress rehearsal for its massive golden mirrors before heading to launchpad
[18]Worried about the Andromeda galaxy crashing into our Milky Way in four billion years? Too bad, it's quite possibly already happening
[19]Famously flawed, it is 30 years since the Hubble Space Telescope was launched
We continue to fervently hope that Anderson is mistaken and the talented team of NASA engineers come up with a solution that restores the telescope to working order, even if a visit by astronauts with spare parts is most definitely not on the cards. ®
Updated to add
On Wednesday, NASA updated its [20]webpage tracking the ongoing work to bring the telescope back to normal condition. The team is considering switching to other backup hardware within the instrument to see if that clears whatever is causing the system to lock up and stop working. Switching over to that equipment is more tricky than booting up the backup payload computer, though.
The agency stated:
The source of the computer problem lies in the Science Instrument Command and Data Handling (SI C&DH) unit, where the payload computer resides. A few hardware pieces on the SI C&DH could be the culprit(s).
The team is currently scrutinizing the Command Unit/Science Data Formatter (CU/SDF), which sends and formats commands and data. They are also looking at a power regulator within the Power Control Unit, which is designed to ensure a steady voltage supply to the payload computer’s hardware. If one of these systems is determined to be the likely cause, the team must complete a more complicated operations procedure to switch to the backup units.
Over the next week or so, the team will review and update all of the operations procedures, commands and other related items necessary to perform the switch to backup hardware. They will then test their execution against a high-fidelity simulator.
Get our [21]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/28/hubble_backup_borked/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/16/nasa_hubble_outage/
[3] https://t.co/VIetiVpSPE
[4] https://twitter.com/Astro_Clay/status/1409599992839479298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YN093dX1lI35ERHHODMBuwAAAIo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YN093dX1lI35ERHHODMBuwAAAIo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YN093dX1lI35ERHHODMBuwAAAIo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://twitter.com/waynehale/status/1409667629518753796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[9] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23493952-the-ordinary-spaceman
[10] https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hubble?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[11] https://twitter.com/NASA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[12] https://twitter.com/hashtag/astronomy?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[13] https://t.co/aAZc83C7Yf
[14] https://twitter.com/NASAWatch/status/1409951288100589573?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/29/hubble_galaxy_distance_dark_matter/
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2021/05/27/most_powerful_ai/
[17] https://www.theregister.com/2021/05/13/james_webb_last_checks/
[18] https://www.theregister.com/2020/08/28/andromeda_gas_hubble/
[19] https://www.theregister.com/2020/04/24/famously_flawed_it_is_30/
[20] https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2021/operations-underway-to-restore-payload-computer-on-nasas-hubble-space-telescope
[21] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
JDPower666
So a bloke who has, by his own admission, zero inside knowledge of what's going on has declared it unrepairable? And his words are supposed to carry some weight just cos he's been to space?
Do you wanna do an article on how repairable I think the 737 max is? I've no inside information but I've been on a plane.
So you're telling me there's a chance
As an eternally optimistic space geek, I choose to believe the NASA update
Let the boffins take all the time they need. No beers yet, just coffee.
(and how can an IT site not have a coffee icon)