The Hubble Space Telescope has been sending us amazing pictures of the universe for more than three decades. It has no engine of its own and thin air is slowly dragging it back down toward Earth. Without a boost it will burn up in the atmosphere sometime around 2033 or 2034. NASA recently asked private space companies for ideas on how to lift the telescope higher or bring it down safely.
A call for commercial help
On October 29 NASA put out an official request for information to see if private businesses can lend a hand. The agency wants to know if a commercial company can send a spacecraft to capture the telescope and boost its orbit. The deadline for companies to submit their ideas is November 30.
Why Hubble needs a lift
Hubble sits in low Earth orbit where tiny bits of atmosphere create drag on the spacecraft every single day. This drag constantly pulls the telescope closer to our planet since it has no onboard propulsion system to push itself back up. NASA estimates there is a high probability the telescope will re-enter the atmosphere by late 2033 if nobody does anything to stop it.
The 2032 deadline
Because the telescope is sinking steadily NASA believes any rescue mission must happen by the year 2032 at the absolute latest. Six years might sound like a long time for us down here but it is practically tomorrow in the spaceflight world. If a company wants to catch the falling telescope they will need to start building and planning their spacecraft almost immediately.
Upgrades are on the table
NASA is not just asking companies to push the telescope to a higher altitude. They also want to know if these private visitors could service the old observatory and maybe even upgrade its parts. Adding some new hardware could give Hubble a fresh pair of eyes and keep it doing great science for several more years.
The safe deorbit option
Sometimes you just have to accept that good things come to an end and NASA is preparing for that possibility too. The agency asked companies how they might safely guide the telescope down into the ocean if a rescue mission proves too difficult. A controlled crash is much better than letting a massive school bus sized telescope fall randomly out of the sky.
A familiar idea returns
This is actually not the first time NASA has looked into a private rescue mission for the famous observatory. Back in 2022 the space agency signed a special agreement with SpaceX to study whether a Dragon capsule could boost Hubble to a safer height. That previous study did not turn into an actual mission but it definitely planted the seed for this new request.
A new leader at NASA
Things are a bit different this time around because Jared Isaacman is now the NASA Administrator. He actually helped fund that previous SpaceX study before he took over the top job at the government space agency. It is pretty funny how he went from being the guy offering a ride to the guy officially asking for one.
The shuttle days are over
Space shuttle astronauts used to visit Hubble regularly to fix broken parts and give the telescope a gentle push higher. The very last time humans visited the telescope was back in 2009 and the entire space shuttle fleet retired shortly after that mission. Anyone who visits the telescope today will have to use brand new commercial rockets and modern spacecraft designs.
Bring your own rocket
NASA made it very clear that they are not providing the transportation for this potential space road trip. Any company that wins a future contract will have to supply their own launch vehicle and their own spacecraft to do the heavy lifting. The private company would also be responsible for running the mission operations while making sure they do not accidentally break the telescope.
Just market research for now
It is important to remember that this request is basically just market research and NASA has not promised to buy anything yet. They want to see what the commercial space industry is capable of before they ask the government for a budget. If the price is right we might just get to see our favorite telescope get a new lease on life.
