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How will we replace the ice?
Not possible... instead NASA decided to pump cold gas
into NICMOS from an external mechanical cooler.
Where will the cooler go?
The external mechanical cooler would be located next to
NICMOS, attached only by the tubes that would carry neon
gas.
Summary
The
option to refill the cryostat with nitrogen ice
in orbit was considered but rejected. The method
used to fill the tank with frozen nitrogen on the
ground required gravity to work. It was deemed unfeasible
because of time constraints, and the loss of dexterity
in space.
NASA scientists at Goddard came up with the idea
of circulating cold gas from a mechanical cooler
that was attached externally to the chamber that
held the nitrogen. The plumbing used in this concept
was initially designed to freeze the original load
of nitrogen, not to be a conduit for the active
coolant itself.
Even more radical was the push to use an experimental
mechanical cooler that was being researched and
developed by NASA contractor Creare. The experimental
cooler functioned with ultra-high speed turbines
rather than traditional pistons (as in a refrigerator).
The concept of the NICMOS Cooling System (NCS) was
born.
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