NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center issued a request for information Oct. 29 asking companies what they could do for the Hubble Space Telescope: raise its orbit, service it in space or guide it through a controlled reentry. NASA’s Hubble account described the request as a way to learn about industry capabilities for in-space servicing. The notice is explicit that it is not a request for proposals or a government commitment to a mission.
The notice’s mission options include capturing Hubble and boosting it to at least 600 kilometers, servicing it to improve its performance and resilience, or performing a controlled reentry. For any contemplated boost or servicing mission, the notice specifies that it must not harm the telescope and sets out a 2032 timing expectation. Goddard would provide technical information about Hubble and coordinate telescope operations. A contractor would be expected to supply the other resources, including a launch vehicle, spacecraft and, if applicable, crew.
NASA describes Hubble as heavily oversubscribed, associated with more than 1,000 scientific papers a year, and without an expected replacement before approximately 2040. Its July 2026 lifetime analysis estimated a 10% probability of reentry by September 2032 and a 50% probability by December 2033. Those are forecasts, not scheduled reentry dates. NASA says Hubble has no propulsion system and, without servicing, will eventually reenter uncontrolled.
