NASA's Swift Observatory Rescue Mission Fails
An attempt to save NASA's Swift Observatory from falling out of orbit has failed. Katalyst Space Technologies developed and launched a rescue spacecraft, but it experienced a malfunction after launch.
NASA's $500 million Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory will not be saved from deorbiting, officials confirmed. The mission to boost the spacecraft into a higher orbit, undertaken by Katalyst Space Technologies under a NASA contract, ultimately proved unsuccessful.
The mission involved a $30 million contract awarded to Katalyst Space Technologies last September. NASA gave the company nine months to construct and launch a satellite capable of rendezvousing with Swift, approximately 200 miles above Earth, and providing it with a thrust to escape its decaying orbit.
Katalyst's rescue spacecraft, named Link, successfully launched on July 3. However, a malfunction occurred a few weeks later, causing the satellite to spin uncontrollably and preventing it from reaching its target. NASA announced in August that the rescue mission would be aborted.
Swift Observatory, launched in 2004, has been instrumental in studying gamma-ray bursts and other high-energy cosmic events. While this rescue attempt failed, the rapid development and launch of the Link spacecraft demonstrated the growing capabilities of commercial space companies to address urgent NASA needs.