NASA asks private firms to save the Hubble telescope before it falls back to Earth

NASA has asked private space companies to come up with a plan to save the Hubble Space Telescope, which is slowly sinking towards Earth and is expected to fall back through the atmosphere in the early to mid-2030s if nothing is done.

The agency issued a formal request for information on 29 October, inviting firms to propose capturing Hubble and lifting it to at least 600 kilometres (373 miles), servicing it, or guiding it to a safe, controlled end. Ideas are due by 30 November. NASA stresses this is only a call for ideas: no firm has been chosen and no money promised.

Hubble has been in orbit since 1990 and is now 36 years old. It has no engine, so it cannot climb on its own. It now circles about 470 kilometres above Earth, down from 583 kilometres in 2002, when a space shuttle last gave it a boost. The shuttles retired in 2011, leaving NASA no vehicle of its own to reach it. A capture ring fitted in 2009 should let a future robotic or crewed vehicle grab hold of it.

NASA’s July analysis puts the chance of it falling back at 10 percent by September 2032 and 50 percent by December 2033, so any rescue would need to fly by 2032. “Hubble still has important science ahead of it,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said, “and we should be looking at every reasonable opportunity to keep it delivering for as long as possible.”

Why it matters

Hubble remains one of the world’s most productive telescopes. Demand for observing time exceeds supply seven to one, and it supports more than 1,000 scientific papers a year. Its ultraviolet vision cannot be matched from the ground, as the atmosphere blocks ultraviolet light. No replacement is expected before about 2040, so losing it early would leave a gap of years.

What happens next

Proposals, including costs and the earliest possible flight date, are due by 30 November. NASA will weigh the ideas; a formal competition could follow, but no date is set. A similar call in 2023 produced no funded mission, and SpaceX studied a reboost in 2022. If no plan is chosen, Hubble will keep sinking until it burns up on re-entry.

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.

Sources

• https://gizmodo.com/nasas-begging-the-commercial-space-industry-to-save-the-doomed-hubble-telescope-2000833501 (Gizmodo, 31 October 2026)
• https://ts2.tech/en/nasa-seeks-hubble-servicing-plans-with-600-kilometre-boost-target/ (TS2 Space, 30 October 2026)