{"id":36972,"date":"2022-10-08T08:30:05","date_gmt":"2022-10-08T08:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/?p=112581"},"modified":"2022-10-08T08:47:11","modified_gmt":"2022-10-08T08:47:11","slug":"nasa-and-spacex-to-study-boosting-hubble-space-telescope-into-higher-orbit","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/nasa-and-spacex-to-study-boosting-hubble-space-telescope-into-higher-orbit\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA and SpaceX to study boosting Hubble Space Telescope into higher orbit"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Iain Todd\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Saturday, 08 October 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

NASA has said it is working with Elon Musk\u2019s private company SpaceX to study whether the Hubble Space Telescope<\/a> could be boosted into a higher orbit.<\/p>\n

SpaceX signed an unfunded Space Act Agreement on 22 September, NASA said, that will look to study whether such a move could be made possible by using SpaceX\u2019s Dragon spacecraft.<\/p>\n

While there are no concrete plans to make such a manoeuvre a reality, NASA says the study will help understand the commercial possibilities of such an endeavour.<\/p>\n

SpaceX has proposed the study, NASA said, to help understand the challenges of servicing missions such as this.<\/p>\n

The news brings to mind the Hubble servicing missions<\/a> carried out during the era of the Space Shuttle<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
F. Story Musgrave pictured on the Canadarm during STS-61 as he prepares to be hoisted onto the top of the Hubble Space Telescope during the first servicing mission, December 1993. Credit: NASA<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

NASA has also said the study is \u201cnon-exclusive\u201d and that it is open to similar studies from other companies using their own spacecraft.<\/p>\n

The study could take up to 6 months and will involve the collection of technical data from the Hubble Space Telescope and SpaceX\u2019s Dragon spacecraft.<\/p>\n

This data will then be used to calculate whether it would be feasible to rendezvous with Hubble and move it into a more stable orbit.<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
SpaceX\u2019s Dragon about to dock with the ISS, 31 May 2020<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

\u201cThis study is an exciting example of the innovative approaches NASA is exploring through private-public partnerships,\u201d says Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs our fleet grows, we want to explore a wide range of opportunities to support the most robust, superlative science missions possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Hubble Space Telescope has been capturing data and images of the cosmos since 1990, revolutionising our understanding of the Universe.<\/p>\n

It orbits Earth at a height of 335 miles, but this orbit is slowly decaying, so boosting the space telescope into a higher orbit could prolong its lifespan.<\/p>\n

www.nasa.gov<\/strong><\/a><\/p><\/body><\/html>\n

","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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