This image, gotten June 8, 2018, shows NASAs NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer) on the International Space Station, where it studies neutron stars and other X-ray sources. NICER has to do with the size of a cleaning device. The sunshades of its X-ray concentrators are visible as a variety of circular features. Credit: NASANASA is set to repair the NICER telescope on the ISS by means of a spacewalk to deal with a light leak affecting observations. Placed near the stations photovoltaic panels, NICER studies cosmic phenomena and functions as a testbed for pulsar-based navigation.NASA is preparing to fix NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer), an X-ray telescope on the International Space Station (ISS), throughout a spacewalk later on this year. It will be the 4th science observatory in orbit serviced by astronauts.Light LeakIn May 2023, researchers discovered that NICER had developed a “light leak.” Undesirable sunlight was getting in the instrument and reaching the telescopes delicate detectors. While the team took immediate steps to mitigate the effect on observations, they also began believing about a possible repair work.”The sunlight disrupts NICERs ability to collect feasible X-ray measurements during the stations daytime,” said Zaven Arzoumanian, NICERs science lead at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “Nighttime observations are untouched, and the telescope continues to produce extraordinary science. Hundreds of released papers have utilized NICER considering that the objective started. Blocking a few of the light leaking in would enable us to return to more regular operations around the clock.”Arzoumanian presented efforts to resolve the concern throughout a talk on Friday, April 12, at the 21st conference of the High Energy Astrophysics Division of the American Astronomical Society in Horseshoe Bay, Texas.This time-lapse video, acquired on June 8, 2018, reveals the accurate choreography of NASAs Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) as it studies pulsars and other X-ray sources from its perch aboard the International Space Station. Better observes and tracks many sources every day, varying from the star closest to the Sun, Proxima Centauri, to X-ray sources in other galaxies. Movement in the movie, which represents a bit more than one 90-minute orbit, is accelerated by 100 times. Credit: NASANICERs Design and ContributionsNICER lies near the stations inner starboard solar panels. From that perch, it keeps an eye out at the X-ray sky, gathering data on numerous cosmic phenomena, like regular pulses from superdense outstanding residues called neutron stars and “light echoes” from flaring great voids. Observing these things helps respond to questions about their nature and habits and increases our understanding of matter and gravity. In 2017, NICER also demonstrated making use of pulsing neutron stars in our galaxy to function as navigational beacons for future deep space exploration through a program called SEXTANT (Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology). The telescope has 56 aluminum X-ray concentrators. Each concentrator has a set of nested mirrors, designed to skip X-rays into a detector. In front of the concentrator lies a thin filter, called a thermal guard, that shuts out sunlight. The concentrator is topped by a hollow circular piece of carbon composite, called a sunshade, with six segments that resemble a sliced pie. The sunshade is developed to keep the concentrators cool in sunlight and protect the fragile thermal guards. After the light leak established, photos revealed numerous small locations of damage in a few of the shields, though what triggered them is still unclear.The International Space Station appears in this picture taken by Expedition 56 team members from a Soyuz spacecraft after undocking on October 4, 2018. NICER is the little white box standing above the stations main truss at far right, nearby to the inner solar panel. Credit: NASA/RoscosmosChallenges in Servicing NICER”We didnt design NICER for mission maintenance. It was set up robotically, and we run it from the ground,” said Keith Gendreau, NICERs primary private investigator at Goddard. “The possibility of a repair has actually been an amazing difficulty. We considered both spacewalk and robotic solutions, confusing out how to set up patches utilizing whats currently present on the telescope and in space station toolkits.”After many months of consideration, the spacewalk was chosen as the course forward. NASAs Hubble Space Telescope and Solar Maximum Mission, as well as AMS (Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, also on the station) are the just other science observatories fixed by astronauts in orbit.Repair Strategy and Future StepsNICERs solution is simple. Five pie-piece-shaped wedges will slot into the sunshades above the areas with the biggest damage and lock into location. The spots are developed to take advantage of an existing piece of astronaut equipment, called a T-handle tool.”While we worked tough to ensure the patches are mechanically easy, most repair activities in area are really made complex,” stated Steve Kenyon, NICERs mechanical lead at Goddard. “Weve been carrying out tests to verify the repair work will be both a reliable repair for NICERs light leak and entirely safe for the astronauts on the area and the spacewalk station.”The spots are presently arranged to launch to the space station aboard Northrop Grummans 21st business resupply services mission later this year. Astronauts will finish their setup during a spacewalk, in addition to other tasks.Collaborative Efforts and Scientific ImpactNICER is an Astrophysics Mission of Opportunity within NASAs Explorers Program, which supplies frequent flight chances for first-rate scientific examinations from area using ingenious, streamlined, and efficient management methods within the heliophysics and astrophysics science locations. NASAs Space Technology Mission Directorate supports the SEXTANT element of the mission, demonstrating pulsar-based spacecraft navigation.NICER likewise works together in automated tandem with JAXAs (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agencys) experiment MAXI (Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image) to rapidly observe stars and other objects that flare unexpectedly, advancing scientific understanding of our vibrant universe.
Positioned near the stations solar panels, NICER research studies cosmic phenomena and serves as a testbed for pulsar-based navigation.NASA is preparing to repair NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer), an X-ray telescope on the International Space Station (ISS), during a spacewalk later this year.”The sunlight interferes with NICERs ability to collect practical X-ray measurements during the stations daytime,” stated Zaven Arzoumanian, NICERs science lead at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.”Arzoumanian presented efforts to deal with the problem throughout a talk on Friday, April 12, at the 21st meeting of the High Energy Astrophysics Division of the American Astronomical Society in Horseshoe Bay, Texas.This time-lapse video, acquired on June 8, 2018, reveals the accurate choreography of NASAs Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) as it studies pulsars and other X-ray sources from its perch aboard the International Space Station. In 2017, NICER also showed the usage of pulsing neutron stars in our galaxy to serve as navigational beacons for future deep space exploration through a program called SEXTANT (Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology). Credit: NASA/RoscosmosChallenges in Servicing NICER”We didnt develop NICER for mission maintenance.