Hubble Space Telescope is falling and NASA is asking for help to save it

The Hubble Space Telescope is expected to crash to Earth somewhere in the early 2030s. NASA is inviting companies to help save it, preparing the entire mission, including planning it, preparing a spacecraft which it would also need to launch itself and recruiting any staff that might be required. Hubble launched in 1990, and NASA knew even before that it would one day start dragging downward. Saving it was one of the agendas along with the launch. It would need to be safely captured and elevated to an altitude of 600 kilometres, besides fine-tuning its performance. However, if none of that is possible, the company would need to guide it on a controlled reentry back to Earth.

Even though it has been 36 years since Hubble launched, NASA says there is still a lot that it needs to achieve. "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," said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman in a post. He added that it is important to explore cost-effective ways to save an “asset already in orbit.”

Hubble's history

After being launched, Hubble became an eye in space for astronomers that could peer into the universe's past. In 2002, Space Shuttle Columbia moved it upwards into orbit. But the drag was inevitable, and the telescope was going to fall one day. With no solution in sight, the space agency has issued a call to the private sector.

In a Request for Information (RFI) released on October 29, NASA has called on commercial players to offer a solution to raise the altitude of Hubble. It is also asking for proposals on how to execute a controlled disposal if no other solution is available. Private players with plenty of satellites in space and vying to add more constellations could come up with an offer. They have been asked to submit their proposals before November 30.

For NASA, to undertake the task itself might be a huge challenge as it is already short on funds. Colombia has already retired, so there is no existing means to do that. Its budget has already been reduced by eons, leaving it to choose which projects get priority.