NASA seeks industry ideas to extend Hubble’s life

The request covers raising Hubble’s orbit, servicing it and planning its eventual disposal. It does not commit NASA to a mission.

NASA is asking companies how they could raise the Hubble Space Telescope’s orbit, service the observatory or arrange its eventual disposal. The agency issued its request for information on October 29 and announced it on October 30, 2026.

The notice is for planning and market research. It does not award a contract or commit the government to a mission.

More time for a working telescope

Hubble’s orbit gradually loses altitude through atmospheric drag, and the telescope has no propulsion system to raise it on its own. A visiting spacecraft could supply that boost, potentially keeping the observatory available for astronomy longer.

The request outlines three possible services: capture Hubble and lift it to an altitude of at least 600 kilometers; service it to improve performance and resilience; or conduct a controlled reentry. Companies can address one or more options.

Hubble’s ultraviolet and visible-light observations remain valuable alongside other observatories. Its history of astronaut servicing shows how repairs and new instruments have extended its usefulness: five shuttle servicing missions flew between 1993 and 2009. The current request does not select a crewed or robotic approach.

Projections, not a fixed expiry date

A July 2026 lifetime analysis cited in the notice estimated a 10% probability of atmospheric reentry by September 2032 and a 50% probability by December 2033. These are modeled probabilities, rather than a scheduled end to the mission.

NASA’s October 30 announcement describes a likely 2033–2034 reentry timeframe and says a mission would need to occur by 2032. The notice likewise expects any boost or servicing mission by 2032 and requires it to avoid harming Hubble.

What industry must demonstrate

NASA wants technical approaches for reaching and capturing the telescope, assessments of risk, achievable schedules and cost estimates. Responses are due November 30, 2026, at 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Those responses will help NASA assess what is feasible. Whether a mission proceeds, how it would work and who would provide it remain unresolved.