NASA Requests Commercial Space Proposals to Boost Hubble’s Orbit

NASA is turning to commercial space companies to prevent the Hubble Space Telescope from spiraling toward Earth, issuing a Request for Information to evaluate whether private missions can boost the veteran observatory into a higher, stable orbit.

The solicitation, reported by The Verge (https://www.theverge.com/science/1024239/nasa-commercial-space-save-hubble), addresses an inevitable physical deadline: atmospheric drag in low Earth orbit is steadily eroding the observatory's altitude. While the telescope is in no immediate danger of burning up, orbital decay models project that Hubble will plunge into the atmosphere sometime in the early to mid-2030s unless an external propulsion vehicle intervenes.

In a statement published on the agency's website, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman framed the commercial outreach as an operational and fiscal responsibility. Isaacman noted that Hubble still has significant scientific observations ahead, stating that if innovative and cost-effective methods exist to extend the life of an asset already on orbit, the agency owes it to taxpayers and the research community to explore them.

Hubble's maintenance reality has changed dramatically since its operational peak. Between 1993 and 2009, NASA executed five crewed Space Shuttle servicing missions to upgrade instruments and elevate the telescope's altitude. The retirement of the shuttle fleet in 2011 left the agency without a government-owned vehicle capable of rendezvous and mechanical servicing, prompting officials to evaluate whether recent commercial advances in satellite docking and orbital tugging can fill the void.

NASA's Request for Information will remain open for industry proposals through November 30 at 3:00 p.m. ET. Following the submission window, agency engineers will assess whether any commercial concepts offer a technically viable and affordable path to keep the telescope operational.