NASA Seeks Commercial Help for Hubble Space Telescope

The agency is exploring options for servicing or disposing of the telescope to prevent an uncontrolled atmospheric reentry.

Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Space

Isometric editorial illustration showing a geometric model of the Hubble Space Telescope in orbit above Earth's horizon. — NASA has requested information from commercial space entities to assist in servicing or safely deorbiting the Hubble Space Telescope by 2032. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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NASA has issued a formal request for information to commercial space organizations regarding potential servicing or disposal missions for the Hubble Space Telescope. The initiative aims to address the telescope's orbital decay as it currently operates in a limited one-gyro mode.

Why it matters

Increased solar activity is creating atmospheric drag that gradually reduces the altitude of the telescope, making a future maintenance or deorbiting mission necessary. Because no successor like the Habitable Worlds Observatory is expected until the 2040s, keeping Hubble operational remains a high priority for researchers.

The telescope currently operates using a single gyro to control orientation and is oversubscribed by a 7:1 ratio for observation time. A soft-capture mechanism remains in place from the 2009 mission, which could facilitate future intervention.

The players

NASA

The United States government agency responsible for the civilian space program and the management of the Hubble Space Telescope.

Hubble Space Telescope

A long-running space-based observatory that has provided significant astronomical data since its deployment.

Habitable Worlds Observatory

A planned next-generation space telescope currently in development to succeed legacy orbital observatories.

The details

The Hubble Space Telescope lacks its own propulsion system, forcing it to rely on external intervention to counteract altitude loss from atmospheric drag. NASA requires any potential commercial mission to be ready by 2032 to avoid a descent into the atmosphere.

May 11, 2009: The STS-125 mission launched to service the Hubble Space Telescope.
September 2032: NASA estimates a 10 percent chance of atmospheric reentry.
December 2033: NASA estimates a 50 percent chance of atmospheric reentry.
2040s: The Habitable Worlds Observatory is expected to become operational.

The Big Picture

The mission to secure Hubble's future bridges the gap toward the launch of the Habitable Worlds Observatory. This effort marks a departure from traditional internal agency maintenance toward a reliance on commercial space infrastructure for orbital management.

Developing a commercial model for telescope servicing could lower costs for future deep-space maintenance missions. This approach potentially paves the way for a more robust commercial industry capable of handling orbital logistics and satellite preservation.

The takeaway

Maintaining the Hubble Space Telescope is a race against solar-driven orbital decay that threatens to end its scientific mission prematurely. Commercial partnerships may offer the only viable path to extending the life of the observatory until new technology is deployed.