As telescopes go, few if any are more famous than the Hubble Space Telescope. Over 30 years of operations, the telescope has been essential to groundbreaking discoveries that have fundamentally transformed humanity’s view of the universe. But like all satellites in low Earth orbit, it’s been gradually descending.
This happens because of atmospheric drag, and the Hubble Space Telescope is not equipped with a propulsion system to adjust its own orbit. According to NASA’s analysis, if left unchecked, the telescope will likely re-enter Earth’s atmosphere in 2033 or 2034, eventually crashing back onto the planet.
