NASA, SpaceX Studies the Possibility of Visiting Hubble Space Telescope

NASA and SpaceX will partner on a study involving the Hubble Space Telescope. The study will determine whether a mission to prolong the life of the Hubble Space Telescope is possible. Hubble has been operating since 1990, floating 335 miles above the Earth.

An unfunded Space Act Agreement was signed on September 22nd by NASA and SpaceX, which signifies a feasibility study of whether it is possible to give the space telescope a boost. Since the agreement was unfunded, the mission will not cost the government anything.

If the study yields results after the estimated time of six months, SpaceX, in partnership with the Polaris Program, will execute the plan of placing the Hubble Space Telescope into a higher orbit, based on an article from The Verge.

The six-month period of studying the feasibility will be for collecting technical data from both the SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft and the Hubble. According to NASA, this will determine whether they can "rendezvous, dock, and move the telescope into a more stable orbit" safely.

Why Does the Hubble Space Telescope Need a Boost?

The Space Telescope has been hovering in space for 32 years, but it has slowly been degrading over time. There have been five missions conducted by NASA's Space Shuttle to upgrade its parts and boost its orbit, but since 2009, the Hubble Space Telescope is now approximately 30 kilometers closer to Earth, as mentioned by The Verge.

The way it works is that when the Space Telescope is moved into a higher orbit, it could provide stability for the Hubble and possibly prolong its life for more operations to be conducted.

Who's Going to Give The Space Telescope a Boost?

During NASA's space shuttle era, there have been servicing missions for the Space Telescope, but it has been retired since 2011. This is why SpaceX proposed the plan to do the boost themselves.

SpaceX is not new to the scene, having carried astronauts to the International Space Station and bringing them back as well.

The possible mission is privately funded by billionaire CEO Jared Isaacman, with his program called Polaris. He is famous for having paid the company to take him and three other people on a three-day trip to orbit the Earth, as mentioned by CNN.

So far, NASA has no plans to do the mission on its own. Hubble Space Telescope manager Patrick Crouse said that the past servicing missions had prolonged the Space Telescope's lifespan, making it operational until the latter part of the decade, at least.

The Hubble Space Telescope

The Space Telescope has provided us with amazing imagery taken from space since it was put in orbit. Just this March, the Space Telescope spotted the oldest known star. Hubble has also made it possible for scientists to discover moons around Pluto that they have never spotted before.

The Space Telescope has also managed to capture the impact of a comet on Jupiter and the storms on the planet Neptune.