NASA seeks commercial plans to boost or safely retire Hubble by 2032
NASA has asked companies how they could raise the Hubble Space Telescope’s orbit, service it or guide it to a controlled disposal. The telescope is losing altitude and could re-enter Earth’s atmosphere in 2033 or 2034, according to NASA; any mission would need to happen by 2032. The request for information does not commit NASA to funding or buying a mission.
Bottom line — Companies have until 30 November to respond, but NASA has set aside no money for a mission.
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NASA’s request sets a minimum target of 600 kilometres for an orbit boost, according to The Next Web.
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NASA’s analysis puts the chance of re-entry at 10% by September 2032 and 50% by December 2033, TokenPost reports.
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A contractor would provide the launch vehicle, spacecraft and mission operations; NASA’s request also allows for a crew if needed, TokenPost says.
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Astronauts fitted Hubble with a soft-capture mechanism in 2009, which could help a visiting vehicle dock, The Next Web reports.
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NASA received eight industry responses to an earlier request in 2022 and decided in 2024 not to pursue a reboost, according to The Next Web.
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NASA and the European Space Agency jointly operate Hubble, which has been making scientific observations for more than 35 years.