From Ars Technica · · 2m
NASA seeks commercial rescue for dying Hubble telescope
With Hubble facing reentry in the early-to-mid-2030s, NASA is asking companies how they might reboost, service or dispose of the aging observatory before it falls.
In brief
With Hubble facing reentry in the early-to-mid-2030s, NASA is asking companies how they might reboost, service or dispose of the aging observatory before it falls. NASA released a request for information asking commercial companies to propose ways to reboost, service or safely dispose of the Hubble Space Telescope…
Hubble's 36-year mission faces an end
The Hubble Space Telescope still shines in astronomers' eyes after 36 years in orbit, but it is not as nimble as it once was.Left alone, it will plunge back into the atmosphere in the early-to-mid-2030s.
No boost since 2002, steady decline
NASA last raised Hubble's orbit in 2002 during a Space Shuttle Columbia servicing mission. The final shuttle servicing flight in 2009 did not reboost the telescope, and with the shuttle fleet's retirement two years later…
NASA seeks commercial solutions
NASA released a Request For Information on Thursday asking commercial companies for ideas on how to reboost, service, or conduct a controlled disposal of Hubble. Responses are due November 30.
The mission requirements
NASA is looking for companies' capabilities to boost Hubble to at least 373 miles, or 600 kilometres, altitude, enhance its performance, or guide it to controlled reentry.
“The boost and/or servicing mission must not harm the HST and that this mission is expected to occur by 2032.”
Orbital decay timeline
Hubble took 24 years to glide from its 2002 altitude of 362 miles to its current orbit of 292 miles above Earth.
Previous rescue attempts
Billionaire Jared Isaacman approached NASA in 2022 about a servicing mission using SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft with astronauts.NASA also released an RFI in 2022 and received eight responses, including a robotic proposal from Astroscale and Momentus.
Industry has matured since 2024
Isaacman is now NASA administrator.Northrop Grumman launched the world's most sophisticated robotic servicing satellite earlier this year in partnership with DARPA.
Swift rescue showed what's possible
NASA awarded a 30 million dollar contract to Katalyst Space Technologies last year to rescue the Swift telescope from reentry.
Isaacman backs the new effort
Isaacman said Hubble still has important science ahead and NASA should explore every reasonable opportunity to keep it delivering.He expects the new RFI will draw interest from robotics companies.
“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.”
No successor for visible light yet
NASA's newer flagship observatories are not one-for-one replacements for Hubble.Hubble observes in visible and ultraviolet light, while Webb and Roman peer into infrared.
What to remember
NASA released a request for information asking commercial companies to propose ways to reboost, service or safely dispose of the Hubble Space Telescope before it reenters Earth's atmosphere in the early-to-mid-2030s.
