SpaceX may help the Hubble Space Telescope boost its lifespan

2 years ago 113

NASA and SpaceX are studying whether it would beryllium imaginable to usage a Dragon spacecraft to boost the Hubble Space Telescope’s orbit, extending its beingness by up to 20 years

Space 29 September 2022

By Leah Crane

Since the Hubble Space Telescope arrived successful orbit successful 1990, it has dilatory been sinking down towards Earth owed to resistance from the precise apical of the planet’s atmosphere. It got periodic boosts from astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle, but it’s been steadily lowering since the shuttle’s past sojourn successful 2009. Now, NASA has signed an statement with SpaceX to survey the anticipation of boosting it erstwhile again, which could widen its lifespan by decades.

Hubble’s archetypal orbit was astir 615 kilometres supra Earth’s surface, and present it is little than 540 kilometres up. Despite this dilatory decline, the orbiting observatory isn’t precisely connected death’s door. “Hubble is doing great,” said Hubble task manager Patrick Crouse during a property conference. “We expect Hubble volition stay operational until the aboriginal portion of this decennary if not into the next.”

But with nary plans to boost the spacecraft’s orbit oregon work it, the craft’s demise is inevitable. By the precocious 2020s, NASA volition person to commencement readying a ngo to dispose of it safely, astir apt by lowering it until it splashes down successful the ocean. As of now, that’s expected to hap successful the precocious 2030s.

If SpaceX tin springiness Hubble a boost, it could hold that. The feasibility survey volition impact determining whether it would beryllium imaginable for SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft to dock with Hubble and propulsion it into a much unchangeable orbit astir 600 kilometres up. “You’d adhd easy 15 to possibly 20 years of orbit beingness to the ngo if we could execute that altitude,” said Crouse.

The nonstop mechanics of however specified a ngo would enactment are inactive unclear. Past servicing missions person been crewed, but it’s plausible this 1 could beryllium automated. It whitethorn not conscionable beryllium a boost, either – Space Shuttle crews besides performed repairs and upgrades, and astronauts connected this imaginable ngo could bash the same.

“At this constituent everything is connected the table,” said SpaceX’s Jessica Jensen during the property conference. “We privation to payment Hubble, and if benefiting Hubble is not conscionable boosting it but doing immoderate benignant of servicing… each the better.”

While the imaginable of extending the beingness of the Hubble Space Telescope is exciting, it inactive whitethorn not beryllium possible, NASA subordinate head Thomas Zurbuchen warned successful the property conference. The survey itself volition past astir 6 months, aft which NASA officials volition find whether it’s feasible to commencement readying a ngo successful earnest. “We won’t past forever, but we’re trying to past arsenic agelong arsenic we can,” said Crouse.

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