Private mission to save the Hubble Space Telescope raises concerns, NASA emails show
For over three decades, the Hubble Space Telescope has captured stunning images of distant galaxies and stars, allowing astronomers to probe the evolution of the universe and its most mysterious cosmic phenomena.
But all that may come to an end around 2034. That's when the telescope, which is slowly drifting down toward Earth, is expected to burn up as it plunges through the atmosphere.
A rich entrepreneur has told NASA that he wants to prevent that.
Jared Isaacman, a private astronaut who has orbited Earth in a SpaceX capsule, basically has said he'd foot the bill to take a maintenance crew to Hubble if NASA would greenlight such a mission, potentially saving the space agency hundreds of millions of dollars.
After initially fast-tracking a study of the idea in 2022, the space agency has remained mum. In response to repeated inquiries by NPR, a NASA spokesperson said in an email that "we expect to provide an update on this study in late spring/early summer."
Then, on Wednesday, the spokesperson said, "we're working to share something this week."
Internal NASA emails obtained by NPR through a Freedom of Information Act request show that about a year ago, longtime Hubble experts were asked to weigh in. They expressed concerns about the risks of what was being proposed.
In recent months, Isaacman has made some pointed public remarks, saying in interviews and on social media that this trip to Hubble should be a "no brainer" and "this should be an easy risk/reward decision."
In a best-case scenario, a successful private mission could improve Hubble's ability to point at celestial objects and, by boosting its orbit, extend its life by years.
In a worst-case scenario, however, an accident could leave the multibillion-dollar telescope broken — or, even more tragically, tethered to the dead bodies of the astronauts sent to repair it.
Isaacman has said if the mission isn't done, "politics" will be to blame. In January, he: "I am a bit concerned that the 'clock' is being run out on this game ... at this pace, there may not be a Hubble to save."
