The Swift Observatory has spent two decades mapping gamma-ray bursts, providing astronomers with an essential window into the early universe. However, recent intense solar activity eroded its altitude, pulling the satellite down to 224 miles. Without an onboard propulsion system to correct its path, the $500 million asset faced total destruction by October.
NASA dispatches rescue mission to save aging Swift Observatory
A frantic, nine-month scramble to rescue the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory reached a critical milestone Friday as a private spacecraft launched to intercept the aging satellite. With solar storms dragging the telescope toward a fiery atmospheric reentry, the mission aims to manually boost the observatory into a stable orbit.
NASA turned to Katalyst Space Technologies to engineer a high-stakes solution. For $30 million, the company developed the Link spacecraft, a three-armed vessel designed to physically grab the telescope and push it 150 miles higher. The speed of the project highlights the urgency of the situation; failing to reach the observatory before its orbital decay becomes irreversible would result in the loss of a key tool in deep-space research.
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