NASA reopens the commercial Hubble servicing mission

Open · 2 updates · since Oct 30, 2026 · updated Nov 3, 2026 Space nasa servicing

Where it stands: NASA has asked industry for ideas on a commercial mission to service and possibly boost the Hubble Space Telescope; no bidder, mission scope or funding is known. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman says Hubble must be boosted to avoid uncontrolled reentry, and Elon Musk replied "sure" to the idea of returning it via Starship. Watch who responds to the request and whether the Starship return becomes a dated plan.

Latest

• 2026-11-03
  the Administrator's position lands directly — NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman argues Hubble must be boosted to avoid an uncontrolled reentry, and that keeping the observatory alive preserves the science (NASASpaceflight). NSF's post on his comments adds Elon Musk's one-word reply "sure" when asked about an option to return Hubble home via Starship (NASASpaceflight on X). Still no bidder, scope or funding figure on the RFI issued October 30 — the reboost/servicing/deorbit scoping is exactly what the solicitation asks industry to define. Watch: RFI responses and scope, and whether a Starship-return option moves from a "sure" to a dated plan.

  

• 2026-10-30
  (later in the day): NASA's own layer lands on the procurement signal — the agency issued a Request for Information to learn more about industry capabilities for in-space servicing to support Hubble (NASA announcement — science.nasa.gov/missions), and SpaceNews carries it as "NASA seeks ideas for Hubble servicing mission" (spacenews.com, relayed by Jeff Foust — x.com/jeff_foust). The RFI turns the day's earlier SAM.gov listing into an active solicitation of ideas; still no bidder, scope or funding figure. Watch: who responds, what scope the RFI defines, and whether funding follows.

  

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Nov 3, 2026

Oct 30, 2026

Background

2026-10-30 — NASA reopens the prospect of a commercial servicing mission for the Hubble Space Telescope, signaled through a contract opportunity posted on SAM.gov, the federal procurement site (sam.gov/workspace), flagged in Irene Klotz's relay carried by NASASpaceflight (x.com/NASASpaceflight). This lands as a procurement step on a question NASA left open after the failed Katalyst LINK boost of Swift — the servicing record's Isaacman line, Hubble servicing "you'll have to stay tuned." No bidder, mission scope or funding figure is visible in the available material; no independent report on the listing's contents beyond the relay yet.