The main camera on the United States' Hubble space telescope has stopped working.

Scientists with the U.S. space agency NASA said Saturday that the orbiting telescope's camera shut down earlier in the week after sensors reported problems with its power supply.

The Hubble telescope orbits 600 kilometers above the earth. It uses precision optics and other instruments to send back images of the universe that can not be equaled by ground-based telescopes.

NASA scientists said they have yet to determine the nature of the fault. They said some problems could be corrected by radio control from the ground, while others would require physical repairs to the telescope.

NASA already has been considering the possibility of a repair mission to Hubble to extend its service life.