DEUCE: NASA's latest sounding rocket fails to study dark voids between galaxies and stars pervaded by IGM

NASA'S latest sounding rocket DEUCE, which was launched by the space agency to study the dark voids between some galaxies and stars pervaded by intergalactic medium (IGM), have failed to gather any significant data regarding the same.

According to scientists, a glitch with the probe's Attitude Control System is the possible reason behind such failure.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) launched Dual-channel Extreme Ultraviolet Continuum Experiment(DEUCE), the sounding probe on October 30 from New Mexico. Scientists aimed to measure starlight from a pair of nearby hot stars in the constellation Canis Major which could help them understand how the IGM got to its current state.

Though the Black Brant IX rocket was performing normally in the beginning, it has failed to obtain any useful data.

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"However, science data was not obtained because of a possible issue with the attitude control system. The payload descended by parachute and was recovered. The Sounding Rocket Program Office is investigating the anomaly," the American space agency mentioned in one of their statements.

According to NASA, the unsuccessful probe which was exclusively equipped by with help of some special ultraviolet optics, was all set to complete its flight of 15 minutes. Those special ultraviolet optics were used to help in shedding new light on the behavior of the intergalactic medium, i.e. IGM.

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IGM is a cold, diffuse gas between galaxies that hardly emits any light and makes it difficult for the scientists to study.