NASA readies commands to switch on Hubble's back-up hardware
- Reference: 1625680503
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/07/07/hubble/
- Source link:
After US Independence Day celebrations drew to a close, engineers kicked off procedures to switch more of the Hubble's internals to back-up units, in the hope of dealing with whatever upset the payload computer and sent the telescope into safe mode [1]nearly a month ago .
A multi-day test of procedures that would be used to turn on backup hardware on the Hubble Space Telescope began today.
Meanwhile, NASA continues to investigate the cause of the payload computer issue that began on June 13.
For previous updates: [2]https://t.co/rQ8PGjBhm0 — Hubble (@NASAHubble) [3]July 6, 2021
The problem has proven to be a tricky one for engineers to fix and, since there is no chance of a servicing mission (thanks to the retirement of the Space Shuttles), any resolution must be accomplished from the ground.
Former astronauts and managers alike [4]have weighed in on the fate of the telescope, with some fearing the writing might be on the wall for the over-three-decades-old observatory.
[5]It's about time! NASA's orbital atomic clock a boon for deep space navigation – if they can get it working for long enough
[6]Hubble telescope in another tight spot: Between astrophysicists sparring over a 'dark matter deficient' galaxy
[7]Hubble’s cosmic science is mind-blowing, but its soul celebrates something surprising about us
[8]SpaceX's Starlink satellite broadband constellation to achieve full global coverage by September, boss claims
The issue, which has resulted in the failure to read and write from memory modules by both the primary and backup payload computers, sounds like a low-level one to us.
An engineer with experience in managing spacecraft told The Reg that an inability to reliably load and execute programs on the Hubble's systems due to the failures would likely dash any hopes that the payload could perhaps be run directly from the ground, bypassing the onboard borkage.
The Hubble (up until the current issue, that is) makes use of the geosynchronous Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) to downlink science data stored in its solid state memory modules to Earth. One option could be to route that data directly to the ground, although we imagine there are substantial barriers to doing so from both a software and operational standpoint.
[9]
A glance at our [10]Space Extenders series shows how creative engineers can keep spacecraft going, even when all is thought lost.
[11]
However, with budgets strained, some within NASA may wish to cut their losses and focus on the impending launch of the [12]James Webb Space Telescope , currently set for later this year.
Ultimately, our source told us, the best bet for Hubble would be to identify the failed bit of hardware and find a configuration that bypasses the faulty component. Doing so, however, will require a complicated sequence of commands. A borked step could easily make the current safe mode state more permanent than scientists would prefer.
[13]
NASA reckons it has worked out the procedures to turn on the back-up hardware and has kicked off a test before uploading the commands to the stricken 'scope.
Should the test go well, then the sequence can be sent to Hubble and its long hiatus from observations might at last be brought to an end. ®
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[1] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/16/nasa_hubble_outage/
[2] https://t.co/rQ8PGjBhm0
[3] https://twitter.com/NASAHubble/status/1412483549899407362?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/30/hubble_repair/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/01/nasa_atomic_space_clock/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/29/hubble_galaxy_distance_dark_matter/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/28/hubbles_cosmic_science_is_mindblowing/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/22/starlink_global_coverage/
[9] 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=2YOYkATdesInyNnp3rlJexgAAANM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2020/04/20/esa_space_extenders_cluster/
[11] 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=44YOYkATdesInyNnp3rlJexgAAANM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2021/05/13/james_webb_last_checks/
[13] 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=44YOYkATdesInyNnp3rlJexgAAANM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Duh!
Given some very clever people built it, with a level of over engineering[*] that we have seen in the Space Extender series, and there are now a number of very clever people trying to fix it, I am quite hopeful for its revival.
[*] I think “over engineering” is the wrong term as that implies waste, but what I mean is the level of engineering where you can cope with multiple simultaneous failures. Even in the days that they could send a Space Shuttle to fix it that wasn’t something you could do at the drop of a hat and it was better (and a bucket load cheaper) that you could fix it remotely.
Re: Duh! - 'over engineering'
I believe that NASA calls it 'multiple redundancy'. The idea being that as one component an equivalent component can be used. However there are some that are not duplicated, such as the main mirror.
We can only hope that NASA can retrieve the situation, although it is not doing too badly as:
"NASA suggested that the lifetime of the space telescope be 15 years"
"on April 24, 1990, the space shuttle Discovery lifted off from Earth with the Hubble Space Telescope nestled securely in its bay. The following day, Hubble was released into orbit,"
from: https://www.nasa.gov/content/about-the-hubble-story, section on 'The Space Shuttle', 2nd paragraph, and 'Hubble is Born', final para.
So it is almost 31 years old in orbit.
If the bypass fails
I recommend firing a well aimed solid copper hammer at it so that on arrival the hammer gives a healthy nudge.
Elon is going up there soon. His Tesla is already up there. Maybe he can take a quick spin over to turn it off and on again?
Here's hoping.
"...some within NASA may wish to cut their losses and focus on the impending launch of the James Webb Space Telescope,"
Well as the old saying goes " A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush," so I think that NASA would be wise to try and get Hubble working again before relying on a system that is massively over budget and years late and is still to get to orbit and actually function once there.
There are some really smart and capable people working at NASA and if any one can pull off the revival of the old girl then it will be them.
Good luck!
Duh!
In space, no one can hear you breathe.
Best of luck to them, though. Hopefully they can get things going again.