NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has been observing the cosmos since the 90's, but it will soon be superseded by the James Webb Space Telescope. That said, it begs the question of what we should do with Hubble in the face of rapidly-approaching end of life.
Citing NASA, the Hubble Space Telescope's may only last into the 2020's. In 2019, Hubble will work alongside James Webb to explore the universe, but there may come a day when James Webb is forced to do it all alone.
With deteriorated hardware and electronics onboard the Hubble Space Telescope, there are mixed opinions about what we should do with it when the time comes. After all, it's still a seemingly-useful observatory.
Some feel that we should de-orbit the Hubble Space Telescope and move on to bigger and better things. Conversely, others feel that we should refurbish and breathe new life into the observatory so that it can continue astronomical observations.
Making the right decision is tough considering the costs of keeping and maintaining such an intricate piece of space equipment. On the other hand, no one ever said unlocking the secrets to our universe would be cheap or easy.
