NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope temporarily pauses observations after malfunction

By MARCIA DUNN
AP Aerospace Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The Hubble Space Telescope has temporarily stopped observing the cosmos. NASA says the telescope slipped into a hibernating state more than a week ago when one of its gyroscopes malfunctioned. Hubble remains safe but inactive as flight controllers figure out how to resume scientific operations. Hubble got six new gyroscopes during astronauts’ final visit in 2009. Three of those no longer function. NASA says the 34-year-old observatory could keep making discoveries with only one or two of the pointing devices.