NASA has issued a Request for Information about possible commercial missions to boost Hubble’s orbit, service the telescope or safely dispose of it at end of mission. No servicing contract has been awarded.
NASA is exploring whether commercial spacecraft could help extend the working life of the Hubble Space Telescope. On October 29, the agency issued a Request for Information asking industry about potential in-space servicing capabilities, including a possible mission to raise Hubble to a higher orbit, improve its capabilities or safely dispose of it when the mission eventually ends.
The request is an information-gathering step, not a contract award or a confirmed servicing mission. NASA says it wants to understand what commercial providers could technically and economically offer before deciding whether any option is practical.
Why Hubble may need help
Hubble operates in low Earth orbit, where the thin upper atmosphere gradually slows spacecraft and lowers their altitude. Unlike a satellite with its own propulsion system, Hubble cannot independently perform routine orbit-raising manoeuvres to counter that drag. NASA says current analysis points to a likely atmospheric re-entry in the 2033–2034 timeframe, although the exact timing depends on orbital conditions and future decisions.
The agency is therefore asking companies to consider several different approaches. One option would be to boost the observatory to a higher orbit and extend its science lifetime. Another would involve servicing or upgrading it. A third would be a controlled re-entry or other end-of-mission disposal method.
What a commercial mission would involve
Rendezvousing with an observatory that was not designed for routine servicing is a complex task. A provider would need to approach safely, understand the spacecraft’s configuration, avoid damaging sensitive instruments and manage the dynamics of moving a large telescope. A boost mission would also need to demonstrate that the new orbit meaningfully improves the mission’s long-term outlook.
NASA says responses to the Request for Information are due by 3 p.m. Eastern Time on November 30, 2026. That deadline is for industry feedback; it does not mean a mission will be selected by then.
Why the study matters
Hubble has delivered more than three decades of observations. Exploring commercial servicing could help preserve valuable science assets already in orbit, while also testing whether private spacecraft can safely interact with complex government observatories. For now, it is an option under evaluation—not a decision to rescue or deorbit the telescope.
