“Lifetime analysis performed in July 2026 identified a 10% probability of reentry by September 2032, and 50 percent probability by December 2033,” NASA explained in a notice. “[Hubble] does not have a propulsion system and, without a servicing action, will ultimately experience an uncontrolled reentry.”
Now, NASA is looking once again at rescuing the space telescope.
“Hubble still has important science ahead of it, and we should be looking at every reasonable opportunity to keep it delivering for as long as possible,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman explained in a statement.
“If there are innovative and cost-effective ways to extend the life of an asset already on orbit, we owe it to the American taxpayer and the scientific community to explore them. Extending Hubble’s life would mean more discoveries, more science, and more opportunities to expand our understanding of the universe.”
The main problem is that the telescope has outlasted the Shuttle program that serviced it. As such, NASA is now looking to see whether commercial partners could feasibly re-boost the telescope by 2032, ensuring its continuation.
That would be a helluva thing for a satellite that was originally supposed to cease operations and deorbit in 2005.