Hubble's Latest Problems May Be In a 50 Year Old Computer Design

For the last few weeks scientists and engineers at NASA have been trying to fix a problem with the Hubble Space Telescope which threatens to end the observatory's operation if it can't be solved. Memory read-write problems are being seen in the payload computer, a Nasa Standard Spacecraft Computer (NSSC-1) built by IBM in the 1980's.
The design is based on a computer first launched on a spacecraft in 1972, and it was replaced in 2009 as part of the final servicing mission, albeit with a near identical piece of hardware still using dozens of discrete integrated circuits to implement the core logic.

This is one of two primary computers on the spacecraft, the other is a space hardened 486 system that replaced the original main computer in 1999.

[eFeXuy]

_We have been trying to reach you about your space telescope extended warranty._

[YouCanHasAccount]

This telescope is already at more than double it's expected design life. The biggest failure here is not the CPU, it's the fact that JWST hasn't launched yet.

[EEVblog]

My money is on the power supply.
First rule of troubleshooting: Thou shall test voltages.

[eurogryphon]

NASA: *upgrades from tiny memory to 12 GB*
Hubble looking into the upgrade: _My god...it's full of stars!_

[mrmadmaxalot]

When I was a kid we happened to be driving through just when a shuttle launch was happening. We stopped by and watched as the shuttle Discovery launched the Hubble Telescope into orbit in 1990. Then it was always in the news, and every time I saw it I felt a strange sort of connection to it. This news has been quite heartbreaking to me, so I really hope they are able to get it going again even if the odds are against it.

[NASASpaceflight]

1:12 "An identical NASASpaceflight computer" 👀

[tommylee]

If we had a long enough bent out paperclip we could push Hubble's "Reset".

[tdlaustralia]

My thought was replacing the part and i didn't even give a thought to having no appropriate vehicles anymore. Really does seem like we've taken a large step backwards in a lot of ways.

[OnTheRocks]

"The Space Shuttle is obsolete!"
"Dangit, we could really use that Space Shuttle!"

[SongWhisperer]

The James Webb telescope will have 50 year old computer problems too by the time they get it to space.

[teytreet]

They probably had to call a bunch of engineers out of retirement

[Miata]

Hubble has been truly priceless. looking at deep space it changed our view of the world.

[frhyuhy]

Brings back fond memories when 2k was a lot while programming in binary. Things changed so much when we got a development station with 8k and an assembler😊

[mdng]

Just take a moment to admire that video footage of a) humans in space, b) from one space craft, c) taking video of another spacecraft under a repair mission, d) on a spacewalk. And the intricacies of each one of those points.

[peteranderson]

A potential explanation for the 27-bit word length may be that it's actually three 8-bit sub-words slammed together with each sub-word having its own parity bit. If I recall correctly, the Gemini Onboard Computer had some similar oddball word length for the same reason. I think it was 39-bit composed of three 12-bit words + a parity bit each.

[Galactis]

64k memory. OMG, I remember when this was AWESOME. Holy crap.

[trulyinfamous]

I really hope that starship could have an eventual variant that could let it fill the role of the space shuttle. Having a manipulator and EVA capabilities is something that could still be very helpful.

[grahamariss]

When it was finally launched having grown up in the 70s with the promise of it, I would never have imagined it would still be operating 30 years later and that we would have lost the ability to maintain something of this size and complexity in space.

[cryingemoji]

I have pictures from Hubble all over my house and my notebooks and my journals and my calendars. The photos this incredible technology captures have permeated my life and I don’t want it to die!

[stanbrow]

Thanks for providing accurate data on this. Hard to come by in the mainstream media.