NASA, SpaceX Consider Moving Hubble Space Telescope Into a Higher Orbit

The Hubble Space Telescope could have its life extended by many years if an idea to move it into a higher orbit turns out to be viable.

NASA and SpaceX have signed an unfunded Space Act Agreement(Opens in a new window) to study whether boosting Hubble into a higher orbit using a Dragon spacecraft is both technically feasible and worth it for the “commercial possibilities.”

The idea was proposed by SpaceX and the Polaris Program(Opens in a new window), and NASA decided it was at least worth looking into. “This study is an exciting example of the innovative approaches NASA is exploring through private-public partnerships,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

Hubble’s orbit 335 miles above Earth is slowly decaying and it will eventually re-enter Earth’s atmosphere. However, by moving it to a higher, more stable orbit, the telescope’s life could be extended for many years. And even if NASA decides not to eventually fund such a mission, the findings of the study can be applied to other near-Earth spacecraft in future.

“Missions such as servicing Hubble would help us expand space capabilities to ultimately help all of us achieve our goals of becoming a space-faring, multiplanetary civilization,” said Jessica Jensen, vice president of Customer Operations & Integration at SpaceX.