Nasa: Hubble in ‘safe mode’

NASA’S Hubble Space Telescope has entered safe mode, after another gyroscope failed, but its science operations have been suspended, the US space agency said.

Hubble entered safe mode after one of the three gyroscopes (gyros) being used to point and steady the telescope failed last week.

Safe mode puts the telescope into a stable configuration until ground control can correct the issue and return the mission to normal operation.

Scientists are performing analyses and tests to determine what options are available to recover the gyro to operational performance. Until then science operations with Hubble have been suspended.

Built with multiple redundancies, Hubble had six new gyros installed during Servicing Mission-4 in 2009. The gyro that failed had been exhibiting end-of-life behaviour for approximately a year, and its failure was not unexpected; two other gyros of the same type had already failed.

Meanwhile in other news related to Nasa, Italian authorities said they were investigating a 25-year-old Italian for allegedly hacking eight Nasa web domains in 2013.

Italy’s postal police, who handle hacking and other cybercrime investigations, said the suspect was allegedly a member of a group called “Master Italian Hackers Team” and boasted of the hack on social media.

In addition to Nasa sites, police said the unnamed suspect also hacked 60 Italian institutional sites.

A police statement said the suspect admitted to hacking the sites after being presented with evidence.