NASA's NICER X-ray Telescope Gets a Stellar Fix!
NASA astronaut Nick Hague is set to perform a spacewalk on January 16, 2025, to repair the NICER X-ray telescope on the ISS. This mission marks the first on-orbit repair of a NASA observatory since the 2009 Hubble servicing. The repair involves patching up thermal shields damaged in May 2023, which caused a 'light leak' hampering NICER's ability to study celestial objects like neutron stars and black holes. Astronauts have been gearing up for this mission with practice sessions at NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory.
Jan 9