The Hubble Space Telescope is one of the greatest achievements of science and technology in space that, since its launch in 1990, has provided a wealth of valuable information about the universe and its profound mysteries.
Although it has been an invaluable tool for scientific research, the Hubble telescope is running out of fuel and needs to be re-powered to remain operational. NASA and SpaceX are working together to see if it is possible to repower the telescope and extend its useful life, in an initiative that could be joined by new players.
A new life cycle for the Hubble Space Telescope
Since orbit, Hubble has been operating at about 593 kilometers above sea level, in an orbit that slowly decays over time. Boosting Hubble to a higher, more stable orbit could add several years of operations to its life.
However, taking into consideration the current availability of resources, at the end of its useful life, NASA plans to deorbit or dispose of the telescope safely.
Last Thursday, December 22, 2022, NASA issued a Request for Information to investigate the commercially available possibilities for reactivate a satellite in orbit, using Hubble as an example, at no cost to the space agency. This application will remain open until Tuesday, January 24, 2023.
Specifically, NASA does not yet have plans to conduct or fund a dedicated servicing mission to the Hubble telescope, but the results of this research could alter the landscape.
Previously, in September 2022, NASA and SpaceX signed an unfunded Space Bill Agreement to study the feasibility of boosting the Hubble Space Telescope to a higher orbit with the Dragon spacecraft, at no cost to the US government.
This study could take up to six months, the estimated time for the collection of technical data from both Hubble and the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. These data will help determine if it would be possible to safely assemble, dock, and move the telescope into a more stable orbit.
Although the Hubble telescope and the Dragon spacecraft will serve as test models for this study, certain parts of the concept of this mission may equally apply to other spacecraft, particularly those in near-Earth orbit, such as Hubble itself. .
This initiative seeks to perpetuate the Hubble telescope as a valuable tool for scientific research. The study in which SpaceX participates is not exclusive, a condition that may allow other companies to join in with proposals for similar studies, with different rockets or spacecraft as models.