3D animation revealing the Hubble Space Telescope over the Earth. Credit: ESA/Hubble (M. Kornmesser & & L. L. Christensen).
On Thursday, September 22, NASA and SpaceX signed an unfunded Space Act Agreement to study the feasibility of a SpaceX and Polaris Program concept to boost the firms Hubble Space Telescope into a higher orbit with the Dragon spacecraft, at no expense to the U.S. government.
There are presently no strategies for NASA to perform or money a servicing mission or complete this opportunity. Rather, this research study is created to help the company understand the business possibilities.
SpaceX– in partnership with the Polaris Program– proposed this research study to gain understanding of the technical challenges connected with maintenance objectives. Other companies might propose similar studies with different rockets or spacecraft as their design, as this study is non-exclusive.
This image from April 24, 2021, reveals the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour as it approached the International Space Station. Credit: NASA.
Groups expect that the research study will take up to six months, collecting technical information from both Hubble and the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. This data will be used to help determine whether it would be possible to safely rendezvous, dock, and move the aging telescope into a more steady orbit.
” This study is an amazing example of the ingenious approaches NASA is checking out through private-public collaborations,” stated Thomas Zurbuchen. He is the associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “As our fleet grows, we desire to explore a large range of opportunities to support the most robust, superlative science missions possible.”.
Although Hubble and Dragon will work as test models for this research study, parts of the mission concept might apply to other spacecraft, especially satellites in near-Earth orbit like Hubble.
An astronaut aboard the area shuttle bus Atlantis caught this image of the Hubble Space Telescope on May 19, 2009. Credit: NASA.
Hubble has actually been operating because 1990, released approximately 335 miles above Earth in an orbit that is slowly decaying gradually. Reboosting Hubble into a higher, more stable orbit could include multiple years of operations to its life. It has actually been reboosted a number of times throughout maintenance objectives.
At the end of its lifetime, NASA prepares to safely de-orbit or get rid of Hubble.
” SpaceX and the Polaris Program wish to broaden the borders of current technology and explore how commercial collaborations can artistically fix difficult, complex issues,” stated Jessica Jensen. She is vice president of Customer Operations & & Integration at SpaceX. “Missions such as servicing Hubble would assist us expand area abilities to eventually help everybody achieve our objectives of becoming a space-faring, multiplanetary civilization.”.
The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of global cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, carries out Hubble science operations.
Hubble has actually been operating since 1990, deployed approximately 335 miles above Earth in an orbit that is gradually decomposing over time. Reboosting Hubble into a higher, more stable orbit could add numerous years of operations to its life. “Missions such as servicing Hubble would help us expand space abilities to eventually help all of us accomplish our objectives of becoming a space-faring, multiplanetary civilization.”.
The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of global cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, conducts Hubble science operations.