The Hubble Space Telescope Is Sinking. NASA Is Looking for Ways to Keep It Afloat

NASA is seeking proposals from private companies to service the Hubble Space Telescope, which is gradually losing altitude because of atmospheric drag and cannot adjust its own orbit. The effort could raise Hubble into a higher orbit and extend its scientific work, while NASA is also inviting ideas for a safe, controlled disposal if its mission cannot be extended.

NASA estimates Hubble could re-enter Earth’s atmosphere in 2033 or 2034, and says an orbit-raising mission would need to happen by 2032. Launched in 1990, the telescope has received five astronaut servicing missions, most recently in 2009; it now operates using one of its six gyroscopes, with another kept in reserve. NASA previously studied whether SpaceX’s Dragon could raise Hubble, and a separate commercial attempt to raise the Swift Observatory was abandoned after a spacecraft malfunction in 2026.