Problems with the telescope in orbit
2006/06/27 Roa Zubia, Guillermo - Elhuyar Zientzia
The main camera of the Hubble telescope has deteriorated. Engineers do not know the origin of the problem and the camera is difficult to analyze, since the
telescope is in the orbit of the Earth. On this occasion, however, it is more serious: the software problems detected by the camera on June 19 and that have not yet been solved. Engineers claim that the problem could be in the main electronic system and, in that case, the solution is to
launch the alternative system. However, so far they have never had to turn on the substitute and do not know if it works well. In addition, if the alternative system is turned on, it would take weeks to calibrate the telescope. They don't know what to do
because the decision is not easy. On the one hand, the telescope blind has interrupted many investigations, so engineers who have to repair the camera have a lot of pressure at work. On the other hand, on Earth they have a new camera called Wide Field Camera 3, ready to climb the telescope and install it, but for this they will have to wait a lot.
Photo: ANDÉN
