NASA ponders a Hubble servicing mission or a controlled deorbit

NASA is seeking information from commercial space companies about ways to address the Hubble Space Telescope’s declining orbit and aging systems; it has not yet issued a request for proposals or set a budget. Last serviced by astronauts in 2009, Hubble has continued operating far beyond the five extra years expected from that mission. But without propulsion, it will eventually reenter Earth’s atmosphere uncontrolled. NASA estimates a 10 percent chance of reentry by September 2032 and a 50 percent chance by December 2033, with solar activity potentially increasing atmospheric drag. Because the observatory is massive, an uncontrolled fall carries a small but significant risk to people on the ground.

NASA is considering a spacecraft that could capture Hubble and either guide it into a controlled reentry or raise its orbit to at least 600 kilometers; a third possibility is servicing it to improve performance and extend its life. The agency wants any mission to happen by 2032 without damaging the telescope. Hubble has a docking aid installed during its last shuttle servicing, and commercial satellite-servicing technology offers a starting point, though Hubble would be a much harder target. Extending its service matters because demand for observations remains high - NASA says proposals exceed available time by seven to one - and no replacement is expected before the Habitable Worlds Observatory, potentially in the 2040s. Hubble has already shifted to using one gyroscope to conserve its remaining operational life.