The Hubble Space Telescope is a bold expression of human curiosity. Since its launch in 1990, it has done much more than simply expand humanity’s scientific reach: it has changed the way people see themselves in the cosmos.

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Now, Hubble’s future is at stake. A NASA working group is considering whether to extend the observatory’s mission into the 2030s by boosting it to a higher, more stable orbit, or sending a robotic mission to dismantle it, plunging the telescope into the ocean.

It is necessary to consider the risks, benefits and costs of each option. Calls for technical reports and presentations to define Hubble’s science priorities for the next decade will conclude in July. Later this year, the task force will share its advice with NASA and the US Congress, which will inform future plans.

I submitted a white paper arguing that Hubble should remain operational as long as technically possible. It was an easy case to make, but the future of this iconic telescope is not guaranteed. Scientists and the public must support this remarkable project in its fifth decade.

What is at stake? Hubble’s unique ability to complement all of NASA’s current and planned science missions through 2040. The ultraviolet and optical wavelengths captured by the telescope are essential to understanding how and when galaxies, stars and planets formed.

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Hubble has taken us beyond human imagination. The curtain opened on an incandescent and exciting universe, not only for a handful of astronomers, but for everyone. His images are visceral, beautiful and terrifying at the same time, and revealed the raw interplay of matter and energy on scales that words could never fully express.

His chain of discoveries revitalized modern astrophysics. The deepest optical image ever taken of the Universe revealed how galaxies have evolved throughout cosmic history. Supernova measurements showed that the expansion of the Universe is accelerating under the influence of a mysterious force known as dark energy. Hubble mapped the cycle of stellar birth and death with unprecedented clarity and was the first telescope to measure the atmosphere of a planet orbiting a star other than the Sun.

The mission prioritizes transparency, collaboration and public participation. Its data has been used by astronomers around the world. Far from being obsolete, its instruments remain cutting-edge, operational and in demand: proposals exceed availability by a factor of six to one. And it fills a crucial niche in NASA’s stable of flagship observatories.

Hubble’s blue-UV view of the Universe complements that of the James Webb Space Telescope, which captures infrared light with comparable resolution and field of view. Broad coverage of the electromagnetic spectrum is essential to characterize extrasolar planets, galaxies and black holes. A successor to Hubble, the Habitable Worlds Observatory, will not launch before 2040.

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