NASA seeks private companies to extend Hubble Space Telescope mission

NASA has issued a request for information to private companies regarding potential robotic missions to extend the operational life of the Hubble Space Telescope. The agency is exploring several options, including raising the telescope to a higher, safer altitude of approximately 600 km, performing in-flight maintenance to replace damaged components, or ensuring a controlled atmospheric reentry.

Because Hubble lacks its own propulsion system, atmospheric drag at its current altitude is causing it to lose height. Current estimates suggest the telescope could reenter the atmosphere between 2033 and 2034 if no intervention occurs. NASA is seeking innovative and cost-effective robotic solutions, noting that the mission would not involve astronauts and must account for the retirement of certain spacecraft, such as SpaceX vehicles, by 2030.

Since its launch in 1990, Hubble has provided critical astronomical data that has contributed to over 20,000 scientific papers. While newer observatories like the James Webb Space Telescope offer different capabilities, Hubble remains vital for long-term data continuity and studying cosmic phenomena over decades.