Instrument Testing in Goddard’s Clean Room (2008)

Engineers in Goddard Space Flight Center's contaminant-free clean room prepare the Science Instrument Control and Data Handling Unit (SIC&DH) for electrical performance testing.

On September 27, 2008, the SIC&DH Unit on the Hubble Space Telescope failed. In flight, the computer sends commands to Hubble's science instruments and formats science data for transmission to the ground. Because of its importance to the telescope, NASA postponed the launch of Servicing Mission 4 (STS-125) until 2009 so the failed unit could be replaced as part of the mission.