NASA is sending out astronauts to fix an X-ray telescope on the International Space Station (ISS) after the instrument developed a "light leak".
Astronauts stuck on the ISS
The telescope in question is the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER), which collects X-ray measurements. In May 2023, researchers found that the instrument had developed a "light leak" where unwanted sunlight enters the instrument during daytime observations.
To mitigate the problem, the NICER team limited daytime observations to objects far away from the Sun's position in the sky and uploaded commands to lower the telescope's sensitivity during the orbital day. Nocturnal observations were not affected.
Despite measures taken, the collected data continued to be affected by the light leak.
