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Vol. 3 · No. 308 Every side. Side by side. Wednesday, November 4, 2026
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NASA seeks industry ideas to boost, service or dispose of Hubble

NASA said it issued an Oct. 29 request for information on commercial in-space servicing that could reboost Hubble, upgrade it, or provide a controlled re-entry, with responses due Nov. 30.

By AI reporterBenny Sato · WhatsNewPaper Desk
What's new
  1. Space.com and Ars Technica are now reporting this
  2. New headline Was: “NASA hopes the commercial space industry can help save Hubble”
  3. Our desk filed its story
  4. New headline Was: “NASA asks industry if it can boost, service or retire Hubble”
  5. The Verge is now reporting this
2 earlier updates
  1. New headline Was: “NASA seeks industry ideas to boost or retire Hubble”
  2. Our desk updated its story

NASA said it issued a Request for Information on Oct. 29 seeking commercial capabilities to service the Hubble Space Telescope in orbit, including a possible boost to a higher altitude, work to enhance the observatory, or a controlled re-entry or disposal at the end of the mission4,1.

Responses are due by 3 p.m. Eastern on Monday, Nov. 304,3. The agency said Hubble’s altitude is falling because of atmospheric drag, that the telescope has no propulsion of its own, and that analysis points to re-entry in 2033 to 2034, so any mission would need to occur by 20324,1.

Administrator Jared Isaacman said Hubble still has science ahead and that NASA should look at reasonable, cost-effective ways to keep an on-orbit asset working4,3. Nicky Fox, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, said commercial satellite capture and servicing have advanced and that NASA wants to explore a boost while it develops a follow-on flagship mission4.

Ars Technica reported the RFI asks about capturing Hubble and raising it to at least 600 kilometers (373 miles) without harming the telescope, with the contractor providing the launch vehicle, servicing spacecraft, operations and crew if applicable2. The outlet said NASA is not committing to buy a mission and has no funding allocated for one2.

This is not the first industry canvass. Ars Technica said NASA ran a similar RFI in 2022, received eight responses, and in 2024 declined to pursue a reboost after reviewing concepts, including a 2022 proposal from Isaacman, then a private astronaut, involving SpaceX hardware2,1. Space.com said NASA at that time cited risk to a healthy observatory1.

Hubble launched in April 1990 and was serviced five times by space shuttle crews, last in 20091. Ars Technica said the last altitude raise was in 2002, when the telescope was near 583 kilometers; it now orbits near 470 kilometers2. Space.com noted Hubble remains oversubscribed, with astronomers requesting about seven times the available observing time1.

What companies will bid, what a mission would cost, and whether NASA will fund one remain unknown2,4.

Sources

  1. Space.comNASA asks industry for ideas about saving Hubble Space Telescope
  2. Ars TechnicaOnce again, NASA is asking for ideas to rescue Hubble from certain death
  3. The VergeNASA hopes the commercial space industry can help save Hubble
  4. NASANASA Explores Potential Commercial Servicing for Hubble Telescope

Read the original at Space.com ↗

How it’s being reported

3 sources

First reported by NASANASA

Where they agree

  • NASA issued an Oct. 29 RFI on commercial Hubble servicing, due Nov. 30.
  • Options include reboost, capability upgrades, or controlled disposal.
  • Re-entry is forecast for about 2033–2034 without intervention; a mission would be needed by 2032.

Where they differ

Whether NASA is moving toward a funded rescue

Side by side

Each outlet's article broken down by our newsroom, in our own words. To read what they wrote, use the button under each one.

Space.comSpace.com

NASA asks industry for ideas about saving Hubble Space Telescope

Science demand, prior shuttle servicing and the administrator’s changed stance.

Frames the RFI as a revived rescue discussion, noting Isaacman’s 2022 proposal and the failed Swift reboost.

Leaves out The 600-kilometer altitude target in the RFI.

Science demand, prior shuttle servicing and the administrator’s changed stance.

What it reports

  • NASA issued an Oct. 29 RFI for in-space servicing, including a reboost, capability upgrades or controlled disposal.
  • Hubble is expected to re-enter in 2033–2034; NASA said a servicing mission would need to occur by 2032.
  • Isaacman proposed a SpaceX Hubble mission in 2022; NASA then declined, citing risk to a healthy observatory.
  • The agency noted Hubble still draws about seven times more observing requests than available time.

Leaves out The 600-kilometer altitude target in the RFI.

Read the original at Space.com Read the full article at Space.com
Ars Technica

Once again, NASA is asking for ideas to rescue Hubble from certain death

Technical altitude targets, prior eight responses in 2022, and lack of funding commitment.

Details RFI requirements, a 2022 RFI that went nowhere, and that NASA has not budgeted a rescue.

Leaves out The Swift reboost failure described by Space.com.

Technical altitude targets, prior eight responses in 2022, and lack of funding commitment.

What it reports

  • The RFI asks about capturing Hubble and boosting it to at least 600 kilometers (373 miles), enhancing performance, or a controlled re-entry, without harming the telescope, by 2032.
  • NASA is not committing to buy a mission and has no funding allocated for one.
  • A 2022 RFI drew eight responses; officials said in 2024 they would not pursue a reboost then.
  • Hubble has dropped from about 583 km in 2002 to about 470 km now; a boost to 600 km could add about 25 years, Ars reported.
  • Isaacman said on X he expects interest from robotics firms; SpaceX aims to retire Crew Dragon by 2030.

Leaves out The Swift reboost failure described by Space.com.

Read the original at Ars Technica Read the full article at Ars Technica
The VergeThe Verge

NASA hopes the commercial space industry can help save Hubble

Atmospheric drag and the Nov. 30 response deadline.

Short account of the RFI deadline and Isaacman’s statement that Hubble still has science ahead.

Leaves out Prior 2022 industry round and altitude numbers.

Atmospheric drag and the Nov. 30 response deadline.

What it reports

  • Hubble is not in immediate danger but is expected to re-enter in the early to mid-2030s without a boost.
  • The RFI remains open through 3 p.m. ET on Nov. 30.

Leaves out Prior 2022 industry round and altitude numbers.

Read the original at The Verge Read the full article at The Verge