In an interview with IE, Momentus Space CTO Rob Schwartz said a 'very small and inexpensive spacecraft' could raise Hubble's orbit and extend its operational lifetime.
Earlier this year, California-based Momentus Space replied to a NASA Request for Information with a proposal to lift the Hubble Space Telescope's orbit using water propulsion.
In a joint bid, California-based Momentus Space and Tokyo's Astroscale claimed they could use water propulsion to take Hubble higher than it has ever gone before., Momentus Space's Chief Technology Officer, Rob Schwartz, explained how the company's method could massively reduce the risk and cost of the operation.Experts estimate that, at its current rate of orbital decay, atmospheric drag will cause Hubble to burn up in Earth's atmosphere at some point in the mid-2030s.
An artist's impression of Momentus' Vigoride-5 spacecraft.In its proposal, Momentus stated its technology would be capable of raising Hubble's orbit by roughly 30 miles , meaning it would end up at a higher altitude than its original orbit. If they prove their technology is feasible, the Hubble team would essentially be able to continue operation for as long as the telescope's hardware holds out.
"Also, the MET uses pure water for propellant," he continued. "That reduces the risk of contamination of the telescope's optics, and eliminates the possibility of a propulsion system fault causing damage to Hubble — though such faults in chemical propulsion systems are admittedly also quite rare.
Momentus says its technology could raise Hubble's orbit by roughly 30 miles .Momentus Space's MET system could also be used in two different ways to tackle the space debris problem. Another system that provides similar benefits is the light sail, which was first demonstrated in Earth orbit by The Planetary Society's LightSail 2 mission in 2019.
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