Hubble glitch renews talk about private servicing mission

SPACE NEWS by Jeff Foust December 2, 2023

A problem with the Hubble Space Telescope has renewed discussion about whether and how NASA might approve a private mission to reboost and potentially repair the spacecraft.

NASA announced Nov. 29 that Hubble was in a safe mode because of a problem with one of its three operational gyroscopes. That gyro first triggered a safe mode Nov. 19 when it provided what NASA described as faulty readings. Spacecraft controllers restored operations of Hubble, only to see problems again Nov. 21 and 23.

The agency said in the statement that engineers were studying the problem and did not estimate when science operations would resume. Hubble can operate with just a single gyro, although with some loss of productivity, such as the inability to perform some solar system observations.

Hubble has six gyros, which were installed on the fifth and final shuttle servicing mission in 2009. Three of the six have since malfunctioned.

The news of this latest, temporary problem with Hubble prompted a response from Jared Isaacman, the billionaire backing the Polaris program of SpaceX private astronaut missions. “Put us in coach,” he posted on social media.

That was a reference to a study announced in September 2022 involving Isaacman, SpaceX and NASA to study the feasibility of a private mission to reboost and possibly repair Hubble using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. At the time Isaacman suggested that a Hubble mission could be the second of three planned Polaris missions.

More: https://spacenews.com/hubble-glitch-renews-talk-about-private-servicing-mission/

Forbes by Amanda Kooser 4/26/2024

It’s not easy being a 34-year-old space telescope. NASA is troubleshooting an issue with the elderly Hubble Space Telescope that has put a pause on science operations. The space agency described the glitch as an “ongoing gyroscope (gyro) issue” in a statement on Friday.

The telescope went into safe mode on April 23. Safe mode is a protective mode that Hubble enters when it encounters a technical problem. It gives NASA a chance to diagnose and work on the glitch, but it also means Hubble isn’t sending back any new science data. There is some good news, though. “Hubble’s instruments are stable, and the telescope is in good health,” the agency said.

The gyros help Hubble point in the right direction. Three of Hubble’s six gyroscopes are operational, but one of those three gave faulty readings that triggered the safe mode. The same gyro previously sent the telescope into safe mode in November, so it’s a lingering problem. “The team is currently working to identify potential solutions,” NASA said. “If necessary, the spacecraft can be re-configured to operate with only one gyro, with the other remaining gyro placed in reserve.”

More: https://www.forbes.com/sites/amandakooser/2024/04/26/nasa-hubble-space-telescope-suspends-science-due-to-glitch/?sh=e4ddafcb8d9c

These States Are Making It Illegal For Illegal Immigrants To Enter

BY TYLER DURDEN
FRIDAY, APR 26, 2024 - 12:45 PM

Authored by Darlene McCormick Sanchez via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Conservative states across the country—Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Tennessee, Georgia, and Oklahoma—are taking border security matters into their own hands, proposing or passing legislation targeting illegal immigration.
 

The Oklahoma legislature just passed a bill designed to prohibit illegal immigrants from entering or living in the state.

HB 4156 states: “A person commits an impermissible occupation if the person is an alien and willfully and without permission enters and remains in the State of Oklahoma without having first obtained legal authorization to enter the United States.”

The bill passed the state House and Senate by wide margins and Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, is expected to sign it into law.

The legislature declared the issue a crisis in the state and stated in the bill: “Throughout the state, law enforcement comes into daily and increasingly frequent contact with foreign nationals who entered the country illegally or who remain here illegally.

https://www.alipac.us/f12/these-states-making-illegal-illegal-immigrants-enter-420188/