NASA Open to Hubble Reboost, Pending Cost Reductions

NASA has indicated it is open to reboosting the Hubble Space Telescope, provided its operating costs can be reduced, using a model demonstrated by the upcoming Link mission to reboost the Swift Observatory.

The Link Mission: A Commercial Servicing Test

Katalyst Space's Link servicing spacecraft arrived at Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on June 5. Link will be integrated with a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket for launch later this month.

NASA awarded Katalyst a $30 million contract in September 2024 to develop and launch Link. The mission will rendezvous and attach to the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to reboost it, countering orbital decay from atmospheric drag.

"The Link mission is high-risk but justifiable due to the return on investment from extending Swift's life at a fraction of the cost of replacement."

Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director of NASA's astrophysics division, said success could signal demand for commercial servicing.

Hubble's Future: Feasible, But Conditional

Regarding Hubble, Domagal-Goldman said reboost is now feasible and the costs are lower than anticipated, making the return on investment more enticing.

However, he noted Hubble's operating costs must be reduced first. In fiscal year 2025, NASA spent $98.8 million on Hubble.

"We are open to a reboost of Hubble. So, we have to first figure out how we're going to bring down the operations costs."

Domagal-Goldman suggested that a reboost could allow Hubble to operate as a bridge to the Habitable Worlds Observatory, planned for launch in the 2040s.