Hubble: NASA sounds out companies on the telescope's future
· BehindLines newsroom
According to its announcement published on 30 October, NASA opened a consultation of companies on 29 October about Hubble's future. Boosting the telescope higher, upgrading its equipment or preparing for its end of life are among the possibilities being examined. A new intervention remains to be decided.
The agency has set 30 November as the deadline for responses. It is seeking to learn what commercial capabilities are available, without announcing here any selected provider. Maintaining an altitude and restoring an instrument to working order meet different needs; the two operations are not the same thing.
An evolving orbit
Hubble has no propulsion that would let it maintain its orbit. Atmospheric drag gradually makes it lose altitude. According to the analysis presented by NASA, a reentry would be likely in 2033 or 2034. The agency therefore estimates that an intervention should take place by 2032. These are forecast horizons, not the schedule of an approved mission.
An observatory already transformed by servicing
NASA's timeline recalls what the last astronaut visit, in May 2009, changed. The crew of Atlantis installed a new camera and an ultraviolet spectrograph, replaced gyroscopes and batteries, and repaired instruments. After five spacewalks, Hubble was released back into orbit.
This history shows that extending an observatory's life can also change what it measures. It does not, however, demonstrate that a commercial operator could reproduce today the work carried out from a shuttle.
The scientific interest remains concrete: the ESA/Hubble FAQ explains that observing from space gives access to the ultraviolet light blocked by Earth's atmosphere. It also recalls that a capture device was added in 2009 to make a future deorbit easier.
Extending observations and preparing for retirement from service are thus part of the same technical problem. The consultation gathers responses on available capabilities; assessing their feasibility, selecting an operator and carrying out a mission would still be separate stages.