Think you can save the Hubble Space Telescope? NASA wants to know.
Summary
NASA is asking commercial companies for plans to reboost, service, or safely dispose of the Hubble Space Telescope. The request seeks information, not a commitment to fund a mission; companies must respond by November 30, and any mission would need to occur by 2032.Key Facts
- Hubble has no onboard propulsion and has gradually lost altitude since its orbit was last raised in 2002.
- Hubble currently orbits about 292 miles (470 kilometers) above Earth, down from 362 miles (583 kilometers) in 2002.
- Without intervention, forecasts point to Hubble reentering the atmosphere in 2033 or 2034, though solar activity can affect timing.
- NASA says a mission could capture Hubble and raise its orbit to at least 373 miles (600 kilometers), improve its performance, or guide it into a controlled reentry.
- NASA’s request says a boost or servicing mission must not harm Hubble and is expected by 2032.
- A successful boost to 373 miles could keep Hubble in orbit for at least 25 more years.
- NASA received eight responses to a similar 2022 request, including a robotic reboost concept from Astroscale and Momentus.
- NASA administrator Jared Isaacman proposed a crewed SpaceX Dragon servicing mission in 2022, before becoming NASA administrator.
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