NASA Seeks Industry Concepts to Reboost, Service, or Safely Dispose of Hubble

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center issued a Request for Information on October 29, 2026, to assess commercial capabilities for extending the Hubble Space Telescope’s operational life or safely disposing of it when its mission ends. The RFI offers three possible approaches: capture Hubble and raise it to a higher orbit, conduct servicing to improve its performance and resilience, or guide it into a controlled reentry or other orbital disposal. NASA says any boost or servicing must not harm the telescope. Responses are due by 3 p.m. EST on November 30, 2026. The agency anticipates that a mission would need to take place by 2032, ahead of Hubble’s projected atmospheric reentry in the 2033–2034 timeframe.

The request reflects a renewed examination of options for an aging observatory that has operated for more than three decades and has no propulsion system to maintain its orbit. Atmospheric drag has steadily lowered Hubble’s altitude since its last orbit-raising mission in 2002. NASA’s 2009 shuttle servicing mission did not reboost the telescope, and the shuttle fleet’s retirement left no routine means to raise its orbit. A previous commercial concept was considered in 2022, but NASA later said it would not pursue a commercial reboost at that time. The new RFI signals that the agency is again seeking current and near-term industry input as commercial in-space capture and servicing capabilities evolve.

For contractors, this is a market-shaping opportunity, not an active procurement. NASA has announced no funding, budget, procurement commitment, or timeline for a follow-on Request for Proposals. Companies can use their responses to describe technical maturity, launch readiness, mission risks and mitigation plans, and the practical limits of their approaches. The RFI asks how soon a company could launch, how much altitude it could add, and the lowest starting altitude from which it could still reach the 600-kilometer target. NASA’s described arrangement would place responsibility for the launch vehicle, spacecraft, any crew if applicable, and servicing-vehicle operations with the company; Goddard would provide Hubble technical data and coordinate rendezvous, capture, and other mission activities.

The procurement opportunity remains contingent on technical feasibility, affordability, and NASA’s decision to proceed. Companies with in-space capture, servicing, propulsion, rendezvous, and orbital-debris or controlled-reentry capabilities may find the RFI useful for establishing relevance and shaping potential requirements. The 2032 mission horizon is an important planning constraint: respondents need to show that their concepts can mature, be launched, and complete a safe mission in time. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said, “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.” The agency’s stated objective is to explore options while Hubble continues producing science, not to promise a rescue mission.

• NASA Goddard Space Flight Center released the RFI on October 29, 2026; responses are due November 30, 2026, at 3 p.m. EST.
• The three concept paths are raising Hubble to at least 600 kilometers, servicing it to improve capabilities or resilience, and controlled reentry or orbital disposal.
• NASA says a boost or servicing mission must not harm Hubble and anticipates that the mission would need to occur by 2032.
• Hubble’s unassisted reentry is projected for 2033–2034, though reentry forecasts can shift with conditions such as solar activity.
• NASA has not committed funding or a procurement schedule; the RFI is market research and does not constitute a contract solicitation.
• Respondents are asked to address technology readiness, risks and mitigations, launch timing, achievable altitude gain, and the lowest reachable starting altitude for a 600-kilometer target.
• The company would provide the launch vehicle, spacecraft, mission operations, and crew if applicable; Goddard would share technical data and coordinate mission activities.
• Astroscale and Momentus are identified as relevant industry names; the RFI gives companies an avenue to communicate capabilities and inform possible future requirements.