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- NASA mission to save its sinking space telescope fails (nbcnews.com)
NASA’s Ambitious Rescue Mission for Aging Space Telescope Falls Short
NASA has announced that its recent effort to save the aging Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory from an uncontrolled descent back into Earth’s atmosphere has been unsuccessful.
Launched in 2004, the Swift Observatory has spent over two decades in low Earth orbit, studying powerful cosmic phenomena such as gamma-ray bursts. However, increased solar activity in 2024 accelerated atmospheric drag, causing the satellite’s orbit to decay more rapidly than anticipated. This put the observatory on a path to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere later this year, where it is expected to break apart.
In response, NASA contracted Arizona-based Katalyst Space Technologies to develop a novel spacecraft named LINK. The mission: to rendezvous with Swift, capture it, and elevate its orbit to prolong its operational life. LINK was launched on July 3 aboard Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL rocket.
Initial communications with LINK were established successfully, but soon after, the spacecraft began experiencing serious orientation problems. Despite attempts by engineers to correct these issues with software updates, LINK’s attitude control systems malfunctioned, causing it to spin uncontrollably at roughly 9 degrees per second. This erratic motion disrupted communications and ultimately forced NASA to abandon the orbital boost effort.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman acknowledged the setback but emphasized the mission’s value: “This is not the outcome we were working toward, but it does not change why this mission was worth attempting.” Katalyst plans to continue efforts to approach and conduct technology demonstrations with Swift, gathering data that could inform future satellite servicing missions.
The Swift Observatory has played a crucial role in astrophysics by observing gamma-ray bursts-some of the universe’s most energetic events linked to black hole formation and stellar collisions. NASA’s $30 million investment in the LINK mission reflected the urgency of preserving this scientific asset in the face of increasing orbital decay.
Ghonhee Lee, CEO of Katalyst Space, expressed pride in the progress made: “We have already learned a tremendous amount, and now our job is to turn those lessons into something durable – building a repeatable playbook to inform future rendezvous and proximity operations and satellite servicing.”
Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director of NASA’s astrophysics division, highlighted the mission’s unprecedented nature and rapid development in response to solar activity challenges.
Though the attempt to extend Swift’s life has ended prematurely, NASA sees this as an important step toward advancing in-space satellite servicing capabilities-a critical technology as space operations continue to expand.
“NASA should be willing to move quickly and take smart risks when the potential return is worth it, and that is exactly what we did,” Isaacman said, underscoring the agency’s commitment to innovation in space exploration.
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- NASA mission to save its sinking space telescope fails (nbcnews.com)