Hubble status

In article m,
says...

I never got around to knowing exactly what they did to Hubble during the
last Shuttle maintenance trip to it.

What are the plans for a safe de-orbit for Hubble ? Dod it have some
sort of grapple device ?

Yes, a docking/grapple fixture was installed on the aft end. This could
be used for a servicing mission or a deorbit mission. You don't want
Hubble to come down uncontrolled like Skylab, especially with that big,
heavy mirror which will surely survive reentry.

How much longer is Hubble expected to remain in operation ?

Until it can't do science anymore.

Estimates of the actual date depend on the details, like do we
anticipate a "make work" Orion/SLS mission to service it "one last
time"? I wouldn't rule that out, even though I've not read anything
about such a proposal in the "popular press".

Jeff
--
"the perennial claim that hypersonic airbreathing propulsion would
magically make space launch cheaper is nonsense -- LOX is much cheaper
than advanced airbreathing engines, and so are the tanks to put it in
and the extra thrust to carry it." - Henry Spencer