NASA engineers were worried that the technical glitch that has crippled Hubble Space Telescope’s payload computer could end its operations. However, the space agency’s efforts have paid off and the space telescope is back in action. NASA shared striking images of galaxies to celebrate the return of the legendary space observatory.
The latest images shared by NASA show some of Hubble’s science targets from over the weekend as it returned to service after a month of hiatus. NASA switched the 31-year-old telescope over to backup hardware to save the mission, and it worked.
The galaxy shown in the image is ARP-MADORE2115-273, which is a pair of galaxies interacting with one another. The unusual spiral galaxy ARP-MADORE0002-503 shows three extended arms that meet at its center.
Old but still shining bright
The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), which is responsible for the science operations performed by Hubble, said the images are a part of a program created to “survey oddball galaxies scattered across the sky.”
“Hubble is in good hands. The Hubble team has once again shown its resiliency and prowess in addressing the inevitable anomalies that arise from operating the world’s most famous telescope in the harshness of space,” said Kenneth Sembach, STScl Director.
Earlier, NASA’s Shuttle program helped the space agency to send astronauts to fix the Hubble Space Telescope manually. But now there are no spacecraft available to do so. It means another big hardware problem could end operation for the iconic space telescope for good.
Hubble to soon have a partner
The Hubble Space Telescope has been working for over three decades and has captured many striking images of the cosmos. The observations it made have enabled scientists to make discoveries of other planets out there.
The space observatory will soon be joined by the James Webb Space Telescope. It will observe the universe from exoplanets to black holes. The space observatory has already reached three milestones in its final testing phase. The space telescope was earlier scheduled to launch in 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic derailed its plans. Now, the launch date has been set for November 2021.
