Copernical Team
Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field Camera 3 restored
The Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) instrument on NASA's Hubble Space Telescope was brought back online on Saturday, March 13th at approximately 7:00 p.m. EST. The instrument was shut down as part of the normal observatory safe mode activities that occurred on Sunday, March 7, in response to a software error on the main flight computer. After starting its recovery on Thursday, March 11, WFC3 suspended the process due to a slightly lower-than-normal voltage reading for a power supply, which triggered an internal instrument safeguard.
Analysis showed that voltage levels in WFC3 power supplies have slowly decreased over time as their electronics aged. The electronics experience colder temperatures when the hardware is turned off in safe mode. This factor coupled with the power the instrument components draw as they are turned back on contributed to the small voltage fluctuation that suspended WFC3 recovery operations. Further detailed analysis indicated that it would be safe to slightly reduce the low voltage limit to avoid a future suspend, and it would be safe to recover the instrument to its science state.
Live: Mission Alpha briefing with ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, Tuesday 11:30 CET (10:30 GMT)
Watch a virtual press event with ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet on Tuesday 16 March from 10:30–11:30 GMT (11:30–12:30 CET) to learn more about his second International Space Station mission. The briefing and questions and answer session will be in English and French.
This is ESA now also available in Irish and Russian!
This is ESA now also available in Irish and Russian!
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Dynamic dunes Chinese solar telescope reveals acceleration of magnetic reconnection
Magnetic reconnection refers to the reconfiguration of magnetic field geometry. It plays an elemental role in the rapid release of magnetic energy and its conversion to other forms of energy in magnetized plasma systems throughout the universe.
Researchers led by Dr. LI Leping from the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) analyzed the evolution of m Scientists sketch aged star system using over a century of observations
Astronomers have painted their best picture yet of an RV Tauri variable, a rare type of stellar binary where two stars - one approaching the end of its life - orbit within a sprawling disk of dust. Their 130-year dataset spans the widest range of light yet collected for one of these systems, from radio to X-rays.
"There are only about 300 known RV Tauri variables in the Milky Way galaxy," Astronomers detect a black hole on the move
Scientists have long theorized that supermassive black holes can wander through space--but catching them in the act has proven difficult.
Now, researchers at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard and Smithsonian have identified the clearest case to date of a supermassive black hole in motion. Their results are published in the Astrophysical Journal.
"We don't expect the majority of s ISS crew to relocate Soyuz to make room for new arrivals
Three residents of the International Space Station will take a spin around their orbital neighborhood in the Soyuz MS-17 on Friday, March 19, relocating the spacecraft to prepare for the arrival of the next set of crew members. Live coverage on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency's website will begin at 12:15 p.m. EDT.
Expedition 64 Flight Engineer Kate Rubins of NASA and Command NASA awards Rapid IV On-Ramp 1 Contract for Spacecraft Systems, Services
NASA has awarded contracts to Thales Alenia Space France of Cannes, France, and Thales Alenia Space Italia S.p.A. of Rome, Italy, under the On-Ramp feature of the Rapid Spacecraft Acquisition IV (Rapid IV) contract. The work will be performed at the contractors' facilities in Cannes and Rome.
Rapid IV is a multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract that allows the fed Soyuz rocket gets new paint job for first time in over 50 years
The Soyuz family of expendable rockets is by far the most frequently used launch vehicle in the world, with over a thousand successful launches under its belt, and a top-notch safety record thanks to its launch abort system. For nearly a decade, Soyuz rockets were also the sole means of transporting astronauts to the International Space Station.
Russia's Soyuz-2 rocket has been given a new