A science computer on the Hubble Space Telescope has crashed meaning that next month's planned launch of a servicing mission to the orbiting observatory will be delayed.

Meanwhile the telescope is unable to transmit any of its scientific data and may even be unable to do any observation work.

The fault happened on Saturday when 'Side A' of the telescope's scientific data downlink computer experienced a hardware failure. The computer had been operating reliably since the observatory was launched in 1990. The plan is for the a back-up computer in Side B to be used.  However the hardware has not been switched on after more than 18 years in space and the computer experts are uncertain if it will work.

Changing over needs a 'transition flight readiness review,' and switching five other related devices over to Side B.  This will take some time and it will not be known until the end of the week if Side B works.

It is somehow reassuring that NASA's technical support boffins appear to be as hopeless as everyone else's.

NASA was planning an October 14 launch of the space shuttle Atlantis on a mission to upgrade and repair the observatory so that it can run for another five years. X

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