Camera stops working on Hubble Space Telescope

Washington, Jun 25: One of the main cameras on the aging Hubble Space Telescope, known for its unparalleled views of distant galaxies and infant stars, has stopped working and engineers are studying the problem, according to scientists.

One of the three cameras in the Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys shut down on Monday after indicating that power supply voltages had exceeded their limits, the Space Telescope Science Institute said in a statement.

The exact cause of the problem and a potential fix were under investigation, the statement said. The other two cameras were still operating and engineers were hopeful the problem could be fixed from the ground, an agency scientist yesterday said.

''At this point, the ACS is in a safe configuration and further analysis is ongoing,'' the statement said.

The cameras were installed on Hubble by astronauts on the space shuttle Columbia during a 2002 repair and service mission, one of four repair missions to the telescope named for astronomer Edwin Hubble.

Other shuttle missions to correct problems and replace aging equipment occurred in 1993, 1997 and 1999.

The telescope, launched in 1990, orbits above the distorting effects of Earth's atmosphere, enabling clearer views of astronomical objects.

Hubble needs new batteries for power and new gyroscopes to keep it steady and let it point at specific celestial features. Without maintenance, its capabilities could fade by 2007 or 2008.

NASA has said another repair mission could keep Hubble productive through 2010. Eventually, the telescope will be brought down to Earth in what NASA calls a controlled de-orbit.

REUTERS