[아이뉴스24 정종오 기자] A project is underway to extend the mission by putting the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit higher than it is now. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently announced that it would “explore the feasibility of rebooting SpaceX and the Hubble Space Telescope.”
This project is a project to dock SpaceX’s Dragon on the Hubble Space Telescope and put it into a higher orbit. SpaceX will take on this challenge in partnership with the manned space program ‘Polaris Program’.
However, NASA said it would not pay any additional fees for the project. It is expected that the feasibility study alone will take regarding six months.
Recently, the launch of Artemis I, the first task of the manned lunar project, has been delayed several times. It is also pointed out that NASA’s technology is not what it used to be.
While NASA, which has led the space technology, is gradually losing its power, SpaceX, which has been winning thanks to the active support of NASA, is walking the cutting edge of US space technology. Some say that the US space technology is now being taken over by Space X, not NASA.
In regards to this project, NASA said, “This research is non-proprietary, and other companies may suggest similar research by modeling other rockets or spacecraft.” He emphasized the “non-exclusive” part.
This project also has a ‘commercial purpose’ in mind. During the six-month feasibility study, the main research subject is whether the Hubble Space Telescope and SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft can rendezvous and dock. If the technology becomes a reality, it means that the same mission can be performed on other spacecraft in similar orbits.
The Hubble Space Telescope has been orbiting regarding 570 km above Earth since 1990. As time goes on, the trajectory gradually decreases. “Reboosting the Hubble Space Telescope into a higher and more stable orbit might extend its lifespan by several years,” NASA said.
“This project is regarding pushing the limits of current technology and exploring how commercial partnerships can creatively solve challenging and complex problems,” said Jessica Jensen, Vice President, Customer Operations and Integrations, SpaceX.
/Reporter Jeong Jong-oh(ikokid@inews24.com)
