NASA\u2019s Hubble space telescope is running out of time. The aging observatory is slowly being dragged down toward Earth and is estimated to reenter through the atmosphere by 2033. NASA could save it, but only if Hubble becomes more affordable.<\/p>\n
NASA is currently preparing to extend the lifespan of another Earth-orbiting telescope\u2014the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. The agency is launching a rescue mission<\/a> later this month, aiming to raise Swift\u2019s altitude and shift it into a more stable orbit.<\/p>\n The space agency has been considering a similar reboost mission for the Hubble telescope if it can find a way to lower its operating costs. \u201cIt was built in a different era, and it\u2019s more costly to maintain and to get the best science out of it,\u201d Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director of NASA\u2019s astrophysics division, said during a recent meeting of the Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee, SpaceNews reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n Bigger risk, higher rewards <\/p>\n Swift launched toward low-Earth orbit on November 20, 2004, to study the most powerful explosions in the cosmos: gamma-ray bursts. In the two decades since it launched, Swift gradually lost altitude due to atmospheric drag and has a 50% chance of an uncontrolled reentry by mid-2026.<\/p>\n To avoid Swift being dragged down low enough to hit Earth\u2019s atmosphere, NASA tapped an Arizona-based startup to develop a spacecraft designed to boost Swift\u2019s orbit<\/a>. The LINK spacecraft\u00a0is designed to rendezvous with Swift and nudge the spacecraft to a more stable orbit, thereby extending its lifespan.<\/p>\n \u201cThese reboost things are now not just available to us as an agency, but the costs are lower than I think I anticipated,\u201d Domagal-Goldman was quoted as saying during the meeting. \u201cThat does make that return on investment more enticing.\u201d<\/p>\n When it comes to Hubble, however, there are other things to consider. \u201cWe are open to a reboost of Hubble,\u201d Domagal-Goldman added. \u201cSo, we have to first figure out how we\u2019re going to bring down the operations costs.\u201d<\/p>\n Running up the bill <\/p>\n NASA launched the Hubble Space Telescope on April 24, 1990, using the Space Shuttle Discovery. At the beginning of its mission, the telescope operated at an altitude as high as 360 miles (579 kilometers) in low Earth orbit, but it has slowly descended over the years. Hubble is currently at around 326 miles (525 kilometers) above Earth\u2019s surface, according to NASA<\/a>.<\/p>\n Between 1993 and 2009, NASA boosted Hubble\u2019s orbit multiple times using its space shuttle servicing missions. More recently, the agency began considering a commercial reboost mission for Hubble.<\/p>\n In 2022, NASA and SpaceX announced a\u00a0feasibility study to raise Hubble to its initial altitude<\/a> of 373 miles (600 kilometers), allowing it to remain operational for a few more years. The agency didn\u2019t follow up with its rescue mission, and Hubble is currently at risk of burning up in Earth\u2019s atmosphere within a few years\u2019 time.<\/p>\n