FUSE successfully obtained more than 52 million seconds of signal captures -- and now it's about to get a second chance on life

The NASA astronomy satellite FUSE - Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer - is functioning normally after engineers were able to fix a problem with the software control system onboard the spacecraft.  Equipment failure in December 2004 made scientists doubt whether or not the mission would be able to continue.  Observations have been normally occurring from last November and everything is reportedly stable since last month, according to people involved with the project.

FUSE was launched in June 1999. Late in 2001, two of the reaction wheels failed in quick succession, leaving the satellite temporarily unusable. That time, science operations were successfully resumed within about two months through a modification of flight control software and development of a creative new technique to establish fine pointing control.

FUSE is responsible for providing observations to help discover a halo of hot gas surrounding the Milky Way galaxy, and has also found haloes of hot gas in other galaxies.  Feel free to check out some of FUSE's missions and status via the FUSE On-line portal.


Source : DailyTech