Hubble Space Telescope's main camera shuts down due to hardware problem

The Hubble Telescope’s main camera is offline The main camera on NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope is down, and the repairs could be delayed because of the U.S. government shutdown.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The Hubble Space Telescope's premier camera has shut down.

NASA says the camera suspended operations Tuesday because of a hardware problem. Hubble's three other science instruments are still working fine, with celestial observations continuing.

This third incarnation of the camera was installed by spacewalking shuttle astronauts in 2009. NASA says the camera has backup electronics that could be called into action, if necessary.

The camera has captured stunning images of stars, galaxies stretching far back in time and assisted in deep sky surveys. It's also studied objects in our own solar system, discovering some of the tiny moons around Pluto, as well as a 14th moon around Neptune. It takes pictures in both visible and ultraviolet light, as well as near infrared.

The telescope was launched in 1990.