Hubble Camera Back In Action

Scientists today began taking the Hubble Space Telescope's first picture in over a month, hoping to confirm that the observatory is back in action after a month of computer failures.

"We know it's working," said Ray Villard, a spokesman for the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Md., speaking of the primary camera that has taken most of Hubble's spectacular images of faraway stars and galaxies.

Progress reactivating that camera over the weekend means the telescope should soon resume scheduled science observations, and won't have to wait until astronauts visit on a repair mission next year.

"We are in very good shape compared to where we were a couple of weeks ago," said Don Savage, a spokesman for the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

A computer failure on Sept. 27 halted the telescope's ability to transmit science data, and forced NASA to postpone this month's planned launch of shuttle Atlantis until at least February.

NASA expects to update launch plans for Atlantis next week, Savage said.

Engineers experienced fits and starts trying to switch the telescope to a back-up data handler that hadn't been used since the telescope was launch in 1990, and to restart science instruments.

But on Saturday, computers began communicating properly with the critical Wide-Field Planetary Camera 2.

"The very first images that came down indicated that Hubble's imaging capability was in fine shape," said Villard.

Starting today, Villard said scientists began taking multiple exposures of an undisclosed target that will continue into Tuesday. A color image is expected to be released to the public Thursday.

"We wanted something pretty, and something we were able to have fun with," he said. "After we get done with that, we'll go and do some science images. So basically, we're back in operation."

IMAGE NOTE: Above, the Hubble Space Telescope on the payload bay just prior to release from shuttle Discovery in 1990, with beautiful glowing color of earth in the background. Below, in one of the most detailed astronomical images ever produced, Hubble captured an unprecedented look at the Orion Nebula. This turbulent star formation region is one of astronomy's most dramatic and photogenic celestial objects. More than 3,000 stars of various sizes appear in this image. Some of them have never been seen in visible light. These stars reside in a dramatic dust-and-gas landscape of plateaus, mountains, and valleys that are reminiscent of the Grand Canyon. Image credits: NASA,ESA, M. Robberto (Space Telescope Science Institute/ESA) and the Hubble Space Telescope Orion Treasury Project Team.