NASA Seeks Commercial Options to Extend Hubble’s Life
NASA is asking the commercial space industry for ideas that could keep the Hubble Space Telescope operating longer. The telescope’s orbit gradually declines because of Earth’s gravity, and Hubble is expected to reenter the atmosphere in the early to mid-2030s unless its orbit is raised.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Hubble still has important scientific work ahead of it and that the agency should explore reasonable, cost-effective ways to extend the life of existing assets. The agency is now accepting proposals from private companies that may be able to provide a boost or another solution for raising the telescope’s orbit.
The effort reflects a broader push to use commercial space capabilities in support of NASA missions. Any proposal would still need to address the technical and safety challenges involved in servicing a telescope that was designed to operate in low Earth orbit.