Caption: Graphic showing how FUSE might look on-orbit. The telescopes are looking toward the upper right in this picture, and only two of the four telescope doors are visible from this angle. The blue rectangles represent the solar panels, which connect to the spacecraft at the bottom. (Figure courtesy NASA and the FUSE project.)

The FUSE spacecraft experienced a significant anomaly yesterday involving the skew reaction wheel. The severity of the problem is not clear at this writing as all efforts and resources have gone into maintaining the health and safety of the satellite in no-wheel mode. When a reliable safe mode is established, we will move into troubleshooting mode on the wheel. We request the patience of the community while we concentrate on the issues at hand. More information will be provided here, electronically to the FUSE users mailing list, and through the NASA project scientist's office at NASA/Goddard as the information becomes available.

For background on reaction wheels, see this report from an earlier wheel problem on FUSE from Jan. 2005.

Reported by: Bill Blair, FUSE Chief of Observatory Operations

Last Update: May 9, 2007

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