NASA has asked industry for information on ways to service the Hubble Space Telescope, including options to raise its orbit or enhance its capabilities. The observatory is functioning well, but atmospheric drag is pulling it toward Earth, and NASA estimates it could reenter the atmosphere in 2033 or 2034. Any servicing attempt would need to take place in 2032, the agency said.

The request for information, issued on October 29, seeks proposals for in-space servicing. It also invites alternatives for a safe, controlled reentry or disposal in orbit when Hubble’s mission ends.

In a statement on October 30, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said the telescope’s scientific output makes it worth considering reasonable ways to keep it operating, particularly if servicing would cost less than launching another mission. Isaacman also said in a post on X that NASA had previously examined a lower-cost approach and that it was still worth exploring the options.

Hubble launched in April 1990 as a partnership between NASA and the European Space Agency. Astronauts serviced it five times during Space Shuttle missions, most recently in 2009. Its discoveries include evidence that the universe’s expansion is accelerating, as well as observations of planets, galaxies and stars.

The telescope remains in high demand: NASA said in September that astronomers request about seven times more observing time than is available each year. Its observations have also contributed to at least 23,000 scientific papers, according to figures cited by the agency.

This is not the first recent proposal to extend Hubble’s life. In 2022, entrepreneur Jared Isaacman suggested a servicing mission using SpaceX hardware, but NASA declined, citing risks to the observatory.

NASA’s request comes after a separate attempt to boost the orbit of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. A $30 million mission developed with Katalyst Space Technologies launched this summer, but control problems prevented its LINK spacecraft from reaching Swift. The observatory is expected to reenter Earth’s atmosphere on November 4, after 22 years in operation.

Sources: Space.com.