NASA asks companies for ideas on boosting, servicing or retiring the Hubble Space Telescope
A Request for Information issued Oct. 29 asks industry about raising Hubble's orbit, upgrading it, or bringing it down safely at the end of its mission.
NASA has asked private industry what it could do to help the Hubble Space Telescope, according to an announcement from the agency. On Oct. 29, NASA issued a Request for Information to learn about commercial capabilities for in-space servicing of the telescope.
NASA said the request seeks commercial interest in three possible kinds of work. The first is a mission to boost Hubble to a higher altitude to extend its science lifetime. The second is servicing Hubble to improve its capabilities. The third is a safe, controlled re-entry into Earth's atmosphere, or orbital disposal, when Hubble's mission ends.
“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.”Jared Isaacman, NASA Administrator
Isaacman added that if there are "innovative and cost-effective ways to extend the life of an asset already on orbit," the agency owes it to taxpayers and scientists to explore them.
The question of timing is why the request matters. According to NASA, Hubble's altitude is slowly dropping because of atmospheric drag, as happens with all spacecraft in low Earth orbit. The telescope has no propulsion system to keep itself in orbit. NASA said analysis predicts Hubble is likely to re-enter the atmosphere in the 2033 to 2034 timeframe, so the agency expects any mission would need to happen by 2032.
Nicky Fox, associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, said commercial industry "has rapidly evolved in recent years to offer new capabilities for in-space satellite capture and servicing." She said NASA wants to explore ways to boost Hubble to a higher orbit "while we develop the flagship mission to follow." The announcement does not say which mission that is.
NASA described Hubble as having operated for more than three decades. The telescope is a joint project between NASA and the European Space Agency. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope and mission operations, with support from Lockheed Martin Space. The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore runs Hubble's science operations.
Many questions remain open. A Request for Information is a step to gather information, and NASA's announcement does not say whether the agency has committed to a mission, how one would be paid for, or what it might cost. It does not name any companies that have expressed interest, and it does not say how NASA will choose between extending Hubble's life and planning its disposal.
NASA said the request will stay open for responses until 3 p.m. EST on Monday, Nov. 30.
This story is based on a single source, NASA's own announcement.
