About this Article

Megan Reiter for the STUC (megan.reiter[at]rice.edu)

Published June 10, 2026

The Space Telescope Users Committee (STUC) met in person on April 22 and 23, 2026. At this meeting, we welcomed a new chair, Megan Reiter (Rice University). We also welcomed three new members: John Chisholm (University of Texas at Austin), Paul Crowther (University of Sheffield), and Grant Tremblay (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory). We thank outgoing member Matthew Hayes (Stockholm University), one of the ESA members, for his service.

This article is a brief summary of the meeting. We encourage the community to view the complete set of presentation slides. The STUC is writing a full report with recommendations based on the information presented. The report will be made available via the STUC webpage when it is finalized.

Meeting Summary

With its unique ultraviolet (UV) capabilities, Hubble is continuing to deliver impactful science results, setting a new record of almost 1,100 publications in 2025 and inspiring the public with its stunning images. The restored capabilities and redundancy in the computer that handles science instruments and data, stable and efficient operations, and nominal health of its instruments project Hubble’s longevity and productivity well into and possibly beyond the 2030s. On behalf of the Hubble astronomical community, the STUC is very excited at the potential to boost Hubble’s orbit, allowing continued operations and unique capabilities in the 2030s and narrowing the gap toward Hubble’s successor, the Habitable Worlds Observatory.

The community has been encouraged to respond to the STScI call for white papers to build a roadmap for Hubble science into the 2030s. The community response will be crucial for setting its scientific priorities in the 2030s, after a potential boost.

There are several recent developments for Hubble:

• the release of the new Hubble Spectroscopic Legacy Archive (HSLA), hosting automatically generated calibrated stacks of spectra from the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) and Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS), along with an astrophysical classification and querying scheme,
• archival products at the ESA Hubble Science Archive (eHST),
• the restoration of the Science Instrument Command and Data Handling (SI C&DH) computer system B-side electronics, which will provide full redundancy for HST’s main electronics chain,
• the first completed observations of Rocky Worlds Directors Discretionary program,
• the increased efficiency with the single-guide star guiding mode of observations and the return to low levels of downtime (no safing events since June 2024),
• outstanding work by the communications and outreach teams to elevate Hubble science and continue to educate the public, all while increasing accessibility — Hubble users are encouraged to submit their results for news releases to the STScI OPO team — and
• the call for suggestions for community Target of Opportunity (ToO) programs.

Feedback

We encourage the community to provide feedback to STScI and the STUC. Comments to the STUC chair can be made via the link on the STUC webpage.

Service on the Space Telescope Users Committee

Would you like to serve on the STUC? Typically, postdocs who are at least two years post-PhD, and those more senior are eligible, but in exceptional cases, more junior researchers could be considered.

Submit your self-nomination with the TAC Volunteer Form. Self-nomination is welcome, but not required. Submissions are encouraged, but not required, to include a brief cover letter and curriculum vitae summarizing the nominee’s relevant background and HST-related interests. While members must be affiliated with institutions in the U.S. or in ESA countries, there is no restriction on citizenship. Nominations will be considered on a rolling basis, as several members rotate off after every meeting, approximately every six months.

The community is also invited to volunteer to be members of JWST Telescope Allocation Committee.