back to article Hubble back in full snapping mode

The Hubble space telescope yesterday resumed "regular science operations" following the failure of the 'scope's operational Science Instrument Command and Data Handling unit (SIC&DH) back in September and susbsequent coaxing into life of the back-up unit (more details here). Hubble image of Arp 147. Pic: NASA NASA yesterday …

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  1. Anton Ivanov
    Coat

    We have a lot of spare parts if we encounter problems

    This should be: "Ebay has a lot of spare parts for us if we encounter problems". Time to dig out those old 486 motherboards :-)

  2. James Pickett

    Wow!

    One galaxy passing through another - how long did that take, and what was it like for the participants? It rather put global warming into perspective...

  3. Richard Gadsden
    Boffin

    @Anton

    If it was made in 1991, it sure as H.E.double-hockey-sticks didn't have a 486 on it. Probably a 286, given how long space-certification takes.

  4. Nano nano

    Frank,

    ... I predict a failure in the SIC&DH module ... I suggest we let it fail, and then replace it ...

  5. druck Silver badge

    Gyros

    Lets just hope the remaining working gyros hold out until the delayed mission can get up there, or the backup computer wont be much use.

  6. Tom Cooke

    Hubble electrical replica

    Hommage to 2001 where they ran a duplicate of HAL back Earthside and made it go mad the same way :-)

  7. Neil Barnes Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    In honour of the late great E E Doc Smith

    A couple of billion years ago, when the First and Second Galaxies were passing through each other and when myriads of planets were coming into being where only a handful had existed before, two races of beings were already ancient.

    All that *and* nice pics - what's not to like?

  8. jeffrey

    Hmm,

    Shame they haven't got two of these units, then they could replace both at the same time, rather than relying on a spare from earth, and one that has been dormant in space for the last 16 years (though still works).

    Alternatively they could get a bit fruity and upgrade to a pentium!!!!!!

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Sweet Hubble

    One of the best piles of money ever spent on technology. Now if we could get the idiots out of the war-room and back on the science track...

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    RE: Wow!

    "One galaxy passing through another - how long did that take?"

    Mere minutes, I think Hubble was watching them approach each other, but it broke so they missed it. Sod's law really, Hubble blinked at the wrong moment

    And in all seriousness, on a scale of millions of years.

  11. Martin Silver badge
    Boffin

    RE: Wow!

    And you wouldn't have noticed it anyway.

    Stars are small and rather far apart - galaxies coliding is like two puffs of smoke going through the same aircraft hanger.

  12. James Pickett

    @Martin

    "you wouldn't have noticed it"

    Not even the gravitational effects? I appreciate that the rate of change would have been on the slow side :-)

  13. sidney cook
    Flame

    One galaxy penetrating through another

    I always smoke after penetrating a galaxy, but was there foreplay?

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