NASA issued a Request for Information (RFI) on October 29, 2026, asking companies to describe options for raising the Hubble Space Telescope’s orbit, servicing it or safely managing the end of its mission. Responses are due November 30, 2026, at 3 p.m. EST. The request gathers information; it does not award a mission. (NASA’s announcement)

What NASA is asking companies to consider

NASA’s RFI outlines three possible paths:

  • Raise Hubble to a higher orbit to extend its science mission.
  • Service the telescope to enhance its capabilities.
  • Safely guide it through controlled atmospheric reentry or dispose of it in orbit at the end of its mission.

The options cover both extending Hubble’s work and managing its eventual end of mission. NASA has not announced which, if any, it will pursue.

Why the orbit is part of the request

Atmospheric drag gradually lowers Hubble’s orbit, and the telescope has no propulsion system to maintain it, NASA says. Hubble continues to make discoveries, but NASA anticipates that a servicing or other mission would need to take place by 2032. The agency’s analysis puts likely atmospheric reentry in 2033–2034.

What the request means for a mission

NASA’s notice is an information-gathering step, not a mission award. Ars Technica reported that NASA has not committed to purchasing a Hubble mission and has not allocated procurement funding for one.

There is also a recent precedent. Ars Technica reported that NASA received eight responses to an earlier reboost RFI in 2022, then decided in 2024 not to pursue a reboost after reviewing them. The new request comes with a broader set of options, including servicing and end-of-mission disposal.

Who operates Hubble

NASA describes Hubble as an international project with the European Space Agency. NASA Goddard manages the telescope and mission operations; Lockheed Martin Space supports mission operations at Goddard; and the Space Telescope Science Institute conducts science operations for NASA.