More Complex Component Re-Routing / Switching Needed -- Over The Next Two Weeks -- To Renew Attempts To Revive Hubble...

There is another update, this evening -- on progress toward restarting science ops on the aging space telescope Hubble, out of NASA / Goddard.

And I'm afraid the news continues to be rather daunting. It may be weeks before we know whether any of this will work. Here's the latest:

. . .The source of the computer problem lies in the Science Instrument Command and Data Handling (SI C&DH) unit, where the payload computer resides. A few hardware pieces on the SI C&DH could be the culprit(s).

The team is currently scrutinizing the Command Unit/Science Data Formatter (CU/SDF), which sends and formats commands and data. They are also looking at a power regulator within the Power Control Unit, which is designed to ensure a steady voltage supply to the payload computer’s hardware. If one of these systems is determined to be the likely cause, the team must complete a more complicated operations procedure to switch to the backup units. This procedure would be more complex and riskier than those the team executed last week, which involved switching to the backup payload computer hardware and memory modules. To switch to the backup CU/SDF or power regulator, several other hardware boxes on the spacecraft must also be switched due to the way they are connected to the SI C&DH unit.

Over the next week or so, the team will review and update all of the operations procedures, commands and other related items necessary to perform the switch to backup hardware. They will then test their execution against a high-fidelity simulator. . . .

Do keep a good thought for this graceful if mature silvery front porch sized cylinder. . . of space hardware. It has literally given us three decades of wonder, and over 1.5 million images -- of "fresh eyed"-insights, into our Universe's structure, beauty and mysteries. Smile -- g'night.

नमस्ते