Technology 1991: the media event Hubble Space Telescope

The unexpected problems suffered by the Hubble Space Telescope are discussed. A loop of cable on one of the two high-grain communications antennas turned out to be improperly tied to the antenna's mast, limiting the time during which the antenna could transmit data back to Earth. The solar panels vibrated for 3-6 min each time the spacecraft passed into or out of sunlight, throwing off the sensors fixing the telescope on a guide star and disrupting the observation in progress. Worst of all, the telescope's 2.4 m diameter (94 in) main mirror was found to have been ground and polished to the wrong shape and thus is unable to focus an image. The solutions to the cable and mirror problems are described. Approaches being taken to damp the solar panel vibrators are examined.<
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