/sci/ - Science & Math

>>15902650
> Industry officials have privately said they believe that a reboost mission of some kind, involving either Crew Dragon or a robotic spacecraft, is feasible with current capabilities. Doing so would help extend Hubble’s life by counteracting a gradual decay in its orbit from atmospheric drag.
>There is more skepticism, though, about the ability to repair Hubble given the complexity of such work. Dragon lacks capabilities like an airlock and robotic arm for servicing, while robotic systems have yet to demonstrate the ability to perform advanced repairs in orbit.
>There is also the issue of cost. While NASA said a reboost mission would be done on a no-exchange-of-funds basis, a servicing mission likely would have some cost to NASA, industry experts said, such as hardware needed to carry out the repairs and time from NASA engineers to support that work.
>That comes as the agency’s science divisions prepare for potential significant budget cuts. That includes, Clampin said at an advisory committee meeting Oct. 13, considering a cut in the operating budget for Hubble in fiscal year 2024 by an unspecified amount.