Summary
NASA has issued a request for information on commercial ways to boost or service the Hubble Space Telescope, as well as safely dispose of it at the end of its mission. The agency says Hubble is likely to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere in 2033–34.
NASA issued a request for information on Oct. 29 to assess commercial capabilities for the Hubble Space Telescope. The agency is exploring three possibilities: raising Hubble to a higher orbit to extend its scientific lifetime, servicing it to enhance its capabilities, or arranging a safe, controlled re-entry or orbital disposal when its mission ends.
The notice is an exploratory step: NASA is gathering information about available industry capabilities, rather than announcing a selected mission. Responses are due by 3 p.m. EST on Monday, Nov. 30.
Why NASA is considering action
Hubble orbits in low Earth orbit, where the thin upper atmosphere creates drag. That drag gradually reduces the telescope’s altitude. NASA says Hubble has no propulsion system to maintain its own orbit, and its analysis predicts that it is likely to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere in the 2033 to 2034 timeframe. The agency anticipates that any mission would need to take place by 2032.
Raising the telescope’s orbit could counter the gradual loss of altitude and give it more time to conduct science. NASA is also asking about servicing that could enhance Hubble’s capabilities. These are distinct possibilities in the request; the announcement does not identify a particular spacecraft, servicing method or mission plan.
NASA Associate Administrator for Science Nicky Fox said the agency wants to explore options for raising Hubble’s orbit while developing a flagship mission to follow it. NASA also cites the growth of commercial capabilities for capturing and servicing satellites in space as a reason to examine what industry may be able to offer.
Planning for Hubble’s final phase
Hubble has operated for more than three decades and remains an active observatory. The request therefore covers both extending its working life and managing the end of its mission. A controlled re-entry or orbital disposal would address that final phase; the notice does not say which approach NASA will choose.
The request frames a decision NASA needs to examine on a long lead time: whether commercial spacecraft can help keep Hubble operating longer, and how to manage the telescope safely when its mission concludes. The 2033–34 re-entry window is a prediction, while NASA’s stated 2032 date is its anticipated deadline for a mission.