美国国家航空航天局（NASA）于周四发布信息征询书（RFI），向商业公司征集针对哈勃太空望远镜的轨道提升、维护或受控处置的方案 1。此次行动旨在应对哈勃因长期缺乏轨道维护而逐渐失去高度的困境，该望远镜在轨运行已36年，若不加干预，预计将在2030年代初期至中期坠入大气层 1。
根据NASA的要求，有意参与的企业需在11月30日前提交方案，核心目标是将哈勃的轨道提升至至少373英里（600公里）的高度 1。除了提升轨道，方案还需涵盖捕获哈勃以及引导其进行受控再入的能力 1。回顾历史，哈勃最后一次轨道提升由航天飞机“哥伦比亚号”于2002年完成，而在2009年的最后一次服务任务中并未实施轨道提升操作 1。
NASA has issued a Request for Information (RFI) inviting commercial companies to submit plans for boosting, maintaining, or safely disposing of the Hubble Space Telescope. 1 The agency aims to raise Hubble’s altitude to at least 373 miles (600 kilometers), seeking capabilities that include capturing the telescope, enhancing its performance, and guiding it toward controlled re-entry if necessary. 1 Companies are required to submit their proposals by November 30. 1
The Hubble Space Telescope has been in orbit for 36 years and is gradually losing altitude due to atmospheric drag. 1 Without intervention, it is projected to fall back into Earth's atmosphere during the early-to-mid 2030s. 1 The last time Hubble’s orbit was raised was in 2002 by the Space Shuttle Columbia; the final servicing mission in 2009 did not include an orbital boost. 1
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