Science & Tech · Space · 5 hrs ago
NASA seeks commercial ideas to extend Hubble’s life or guide its reentry
NASA is seeking ideas from commercial space companies to deal with Hubble’s declining orbit.
The telescope has been operating since 1990 and still carries out scientific observations.
Without a boost, it could reenter Earth’s atmosphere in the early-to-mid 2030s.
NASA is considering ways to raise its orbit, service it to extend its life, or guide it through a controlled reentry.
A controlled return matters because Hubble has no propulsion system, so its eventual reentry would otherwise be uncontrolled.
NASA wants any mission to avoid harming the telescope and says it should take place by 2032.
The agency is gathering information, not yet requesting firm proposals, and says interested parties have until November 30 to respond.
NASA is seeking information from commercial space companies about extending the Hubble Space Telescope’s life or guiding it through a controlled reentry.
Without intervention, Hubble is expected to reenter Earth’s atmosphere in the early to mid-2030s.
Possible approaches include raising its orbit, servicing the telescope or safely disposing of it through a controlled reentry.
NASA says any mission must not harm Hubble and should take place by 2032.
The agency’s request for information is open until November 30.
- Who
- NASA is seeking information from commercial space companies.
- What
- The agency is exploring ways to extend Hubble’s life or guide it through a controlled reentry.
- When
- NASA’s request is open until November 30. A mission would take place by 2032.
- Where
- Hubble is in orbit around Earth.
- Why
- Hubble is losing altitude and could reenter the atmosphere without intervention; NASA is considering ways to preserve its science or control its disposal.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Hubble was launched into low-Earth orbit.
A Space Shuttle servicing mission nudged Hubble back into a higher orbit.
The last Hubble servicing mission, STS-125, launched.
NASA released a request for information on ways to service, boost or safely dispose of Hubble.
The deadline for responses to NASA’s request for information.
- Request deadline
- November 30
- Mission target date
- By 2032
- Proposed minimum orbit
- 373 miles (600 km) or higher
- Possible replacement
- Habitable Worlds Observatory could become operational in the 2040s
- Hubble demand
- NASA reported a 7:1 oversubscription
5 sources
Absturz bis 2034: NASA prüft jetzt doch die Anhebung des Hubble-Orbits
NASA hopes the commercial space industry can help save Hubble
NASA’s Begging the Commercial Space Industry to Save the Doomed Hubble Telescope
Think you can save the Hubble Space Telescope? NASA wants to know.
NASA ponders a Hubble servicing mission or a controlled deorbit
What people are saying
Hubble still has important science ahead of it, and we should be looking at every reasonable opportunity to keep it delivering for as long as possible
If there are innovative and cost-effective ways to extend the life of an asset already on orbit, we owe it to the American taxpayer and the scientific community to explore them.