Science

Hubble Telescope camera back in action after 1-week shutdown

17 of January 2019

This May 13, 2009 photo made available by NASA shows the Hubble Space Telescope from the space shuttle Atlantis, orbiting the Earth. On Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019, the Space Telescope Science Institute says the instrument has resumed observations. It had stopped working on Jan. 8. (NASA via AP),This May 13, 2009 photo made available by NASA shows the Hubble Space Telescope from the space shuttle Atlantis, orbiting the Earth. On Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019, the Space Telescope Science Institute says the instrument has resumed observations. It had stopped working on Jan. 8. (NASA via AP)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The Hubble Space Telescope’s premier camera is back in action, after a shutdown of just over a week.

The Space Telescope Science Institute says the camera resumed observations Thursday. It stopped working Jan. 8.

The wide field camera shut itself down, sensing a problem with voltage levels. It turns out the levels were normal and the readings were bad. The problem was solved after flight controllers reset the telemetry circuits. The repair effort was unaffected by the partial government shutdown; NASA’s satellite operations are considered high priority.

Spacewalking shuttle astronauts installed this camera in 2009. It’s the third and final version of the instrument, and has captured stunning pictures of some of the earliest galaxies.

Hubble — which orbits 350 miles (560 kilometers) above Earth — was launched in 1990.