NASA has asked private space companies for proposals to service or boost the Hubble Space Telescope, which could reenter Earth's atmosphere in 2033 or 2034 without intervention.
NASA is asking private space companies to propose ways to extend the life of the Hubble Space Telescope, which is gradually losing altitude and could reenter Earth's atmosphere in 2033 or 2034.
On October 29, NASA issued a Request for Information seeking details about commercial technologies that could service Hubble while it remains in orbit. The agency is accepting responses until 3 p.m. EST on Monday, November 30.
The goal is to determine whether new spacecraft capabilities could keep the observatory operating longer, improve its performance, or help bring its mission to a safe conclusion. Options under consideration include boosting Hubble into a higher orbit, servicing the telescope to improve its capabilities, or safely retiring it through a controlled descent into Earth's atmosphere or orbital disposal.
Hubble has no propulsion system capable of maintaining its altitude. Atmospheric drag in low Earth orbit gradually reduces the telescope's altitude, and without outside assistance it cannot reverse this decline. NASA's current analysis suggests Hubble will likely reenter Earth's atmosphere sometime between 2033 and 2034. To prevent that through an orbital boost, a mission would need to occur by 2032.
"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," said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. "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. Extending Hubble's life would mean more discoveries, more science, and more opportunities to expand our understanding of the universe."
Nicky Fox, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said: "Hubble is a national icon that has fundamentally changed how humanity views our universe for more than 35 years. Commercial industry has rapidly evolved in recent years to offer new capabilities for in-space satellite capture and servicing. Given the time we have until Hubble's anticipated re-entry, we are eager to explore the breadth of possibilities to boost Hubble to a higher orbit while we develop the flagship mission to follow."
Hubble launched in April 1990 in partnership with the European Space Agency. It was serviced five times by astronauts on space shuttle missions, the most recent in 2009. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, oversees the telescope and its mission operations, with additional operational support from Denver-based Lockheed Martin Space. Scientific operations are handled by the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy on NASA's behalf.
Hubble has operated for more than 35 years and continues to produce scientific discoveries. Astronomers request about seven times as much observing time as is available each year, according to NASA. Any mission to raise Hubble's orbit would need to happen by 2032, leaving a limited window to evaluate commercial proposals, develop a mission, and carry it out before the telescope descends too far.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
The day's checked news, by email
One short email a day with the top stories. Free, and you can unsubscribe in one click.
Or follow for the latest news:
No comments yet. Start the discussion.
China launched three Yaogan 51-07 to 09 satellites aboard a Long March 2C rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on November 5, 2026, marking the 675th flight of the Long March series.
NASA outlines Artemis III in 2027 and Artemis IV in 2028, with SpaceX and Blue Origin developing lunar landers for crewed landings.
