NASA working to restore Hubble Space Telescope's most serious glitch in payload computer

NASA is working to resolve the payload computer issue in the Hubble Space Telescope after it halted on June 13 shortly after 4 pm EDT. So far, the NASA operations investigating team has switched to several backup modules since June 16, until the verification process was completed. Even after a month, the payload computer glitch is one of the severe issues NASA is facing.

Possible Switch to Backup

NASA reviewed all factors and ergonomics related to Hubble's possible switch to backup hardware. The investigation team successfully conducted multiple tests to diagnose the problem on the Hubble Space Telescope. "NASA completed preparations to test procedures in the coming week that would be used to turn on Hubble backup hardware as a possible response to a payload computer issue. The investigation is ongoing into the cause of the problem," NASA said.

Initial Findings

As initial problems, NASA discovered issues with computer memory and prepared to study the Standard Interface hardware (STINT) and the Central Processing Module (CPM). "After performing tests on several of the computer’s memory modules, the results indicate that a different piece of computer hardware may have caused the problem, with the memory errors being only a symptom. The operations team is investigating whether the Standard Interface (STINT) hardware, which bridges communications between the computer’s Central Processing Module (CPM) and other components or the CPM itself is responsible for the issue. The team is currently designing tests that will be run in the next few days to attempt to further isolate the problem and identify a potential solution," NASA updated.

Several astronomical projects standstill as experts try to get the high-tech Telescope back in pace. The Hubble Space Telescope was launched on April 25, 1990, to understand galaxies, comets, and stars for over 31years. It has immensely contributed to the obstructed study of planets and stars which are some billion light-years away.

(Input from several agencies)