A novel water propulsion system could raise the iconic telescope's orbit higher than it's ever been before.
Two startups have submitted a proposal that could extend the lifespan of the iconic Hubble Space Telescope, which has been in orbit for more than 30 years.malfunctioning payload computerNow, two startups, California-based Momentus Space and Tokyo-based Astroscale, have teamed up to provide a solution using novel water propulsion technology.
Though Hubble is currently in a healthy state, despite its hardware being decades old and running on a backup payload computer, it will eventually be brought back into Earth's atmosphere due to atmospheric drag.At its current rate of orbital decay — Hubble's orbital height has fallen by approximately 18 miles since its launch in 1990 — experts estimate it will burn up in our atmosphere in the mid-to-late 2030s.
"Even at 33, Hubble is fully capable of continuing its mission; where it is aging is in its orbital stability,” John Rood, Momentus chief executive officer, explained in a . "I am thrilled that we collaborated to offer NASA a very cost-effective way to continue to operate this billion-dollar scientific investment by leveraging new robotic in-space servicing technology.". The two companies hope to launch a Vigoride space tug to low Earth orbit. Once there, it would attempt to raise Hubble's orbit by roughly 30 miles , taking it higher than its original orbit.
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