NASA's $30 Million Attempt to Save the 22-Year-Old Swift Telescope Falls Apart
A privately built rescue vehicle meant to lift the aging Swift observatory to a higher orbit malfunctioned, ending NASA’s effort to keep the telescope aloft.
NASA’s 22-year-old Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, a multi-wavelength gamma-ray burst detector, has been losing altitude as solar activity inflates Earth’s atmosphere. To extend its mission, the agency awarded Katalyst Space a $30 million contract to build the LINK spacecraft, designed to rendezvous with Swift at roughly 216 miles and tow it to about 373 miles. Built in just eight months, LINK launched on July 3 aboard a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL from Kwajalein Atoll.
Within weeks, critical reaction wheels failed, and despite thruster attempts, the vehicle began to spin out of control, making capture impossible. NASA’s astrophysics director Shawn Domagal-Goldman called the venture high-risk, high-reward and emphasized the technical lessons learned. Katalyst CEO Ghonhee Lee expressed pride in the milestones, while Administrator Jared Isaacman affirmed the mission’s worth despite the outcome. Swift is now expected to re-enter and burn up later this year.
Why it matters
The failure highlights challenges of extending satellite lifespans and informs future on-orbit servicing technology.
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