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The Hubble Space Telescope is bouncing back from a potentially alarming computer glitch just weeks after its last overhaul by astronauts.
Hubble program manager Preston Burch told SPACE.com that a computer in the iconic observatory's new data handling unit seized up inexplicably early Monday, forcing engineers on Earth to reboot the space telescope remotely.
"It locked up on us," Burch said. "It wouldn't send any telemetry and wouldn't accept any commands. It totally isolated the instruments from either onboard or on the ground."
The malfunction lasted about 14 hours before engineers were able to jumpstart the 19-year-old Hubble by shutting the telescope off, then restarting it remotely from the telescope's mission operations center at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
"We certainly hope it's temporary," Burch said, adding that the glitch could become a bigger concern if it occurs more than a few times a year.
Hubble's instruments are healthy and in good shape now, but the problem has delayed the checkout process of instruments installed by astronauts last month by about a week, Burch said.
The space telescope is more powerful than ever after its latest overhaul by astronauts last month, mission managers have said.
Hubble program manager Preston Burch told SPACE.com that a computer in the iconic observatory's new data handling unit seized up inexplicably early Monday, forcing engineers on Earth to reboot the space telescope remotely.
"It locked up on us," Burch said. "It wouldn't send any telemetry and wouldn't accept any commands. It totally isolated the instruments from either onboard or on the ground."
The malfunction lasted about 14 hours before engineers were able to jumpstart the 19-year-old Hubble by shutting the telescope off, then restarting it remotely from the telescope's mission operations center at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
"We certainly hope it's temporary," Burch said, adding that the glitch could become a bigger concern if it occurs more than a few times a year.
Hubble's instruments are healthy and in good shape now, but the problem has delayed the checkout process of instruments installed by astronauts last month by about a week, Burch said.
The space telescope is more powerful than ever after its latest overhaul by astronauts last month, mission managers have said.