How astronauts once tackled 111 tiny screws to revive a broken telescope

Space · Published 7 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: When a power supply failure silenced Hubble's most versatile spectrograph in 2004, NASA faced a daunting orbital challenge. Restoring the instrument required a high-stakes mission to replace delicate electronics mid-flight, testing the limits of human precision in the vacuum of space.

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, known as STIS, has long been recognized as the most versatile spectrograph to ever fly on the Hubble Space Telescope. However, its scientific capabilities were abruptly halted in August 2004 when a failure in its power supply ceased operations. This malfunction threatened the loss of an instrument capable of profound cosmic observation, ranging from our local solar system to the most distant reaches of the cosmos. This instrument's loss would have been devastating, as astronomers rely on such tools to detect unexpected phenomena, such as the discovery of ultraviolet light from an ancient, distant galaxy.

NASA organised a mission to fix STIS by attempting an unprecedented orbital swap of an electronic circuit board. While such a repair might be straightforward within a laboratory on Earth, the orbital environment introduced extreme mechanical difficulties. Astronauts were tasked with accessing the main electronics box to swap the failed component, a process complicated by the physical constraints of their pressurized gloves.

The precision required for this repair was immense. The mission necessitated the removal of 111 tiny, non-captive screws. In the microgravity of space, managing such a high volume of small, loose hardware presents a significant risk of loss or damage. This delicate operation highlights the intense human effort required to maintain the longevity of the Hubble mission and its ability to continue providing cutting-edge research opportunities for the global astronomical community. Such maintenance is vital for the broader mission of the Space Telescope Science Institute, which manages expanding data archives and supports the next generation of researchers through initiatives like the NASA Hubble Fellowship Program.

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