NASA invites private companies to service Hubble Space Telescope before 2032
The space agency has issued a request for information to explore ways to extend the observatory's scientific life.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) issued a notice on 30 October inviting private companies to provide information on servicing the Hubble Space Telescope. According to ThePrint, the request for information (RFI) seeks ways to maintain the telescope in space without causing damage before 2032.
The notice, which remains active until 30 November, explores three primary options: moving the telescope to a higher altitude, servicing it to improve capabilities and extend its scientific life, or performing a controlled re-entry to Earth. NASA stated that the mission details are not yet decided and the notice is not a request for proposals.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a press release that the telescope has significant science remaining and the agency should pursue every viable chance to maintain its operations. Nicky Fox, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, described the telescope as a national icon that has altered human views of the universe for over 35 years.
Launched in 1990 to low Earth orbit (LEO) by NASA and the European Space Agency, the observatory has made more than 1.7 million observations. It has helped scientists determine the age of the universe to be 13.8 billion years and identify supermassive black holes and protoplanets.
The telescope currently orbits 483 km above Earth but is losing altitude due to atmospheric drag. NASA calculations suggest the observatory is losing its orbit rapidly and could re-enter the atmosphere and burn up by 2034 or 2035.
The extension of the telescope's lifespan depends on commercial interest from private entities, who are expected to respond to the RFI by 30 November.