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A rescue spacecraft has launched to catch NASA's Swift Observatory before it falls from orbit. The high-risk mission could extend the telescope's life and shape future servicing plans for ageing satellites.
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Capecanaveral,UPDATED: Jul 3, 2026 16:24 IST
A spacecraft designed to rescue NASA's Swift Observatory was launched into orbit on Friday, in an effort to stop the telescope from falling back to Earth. Northrop Grumman launched Katalyst Space Technologies' three-armed Link spacecraft, which is expected to reach and capture Swift in about a month.
NASA is paying USD 30 million for the mission, which aims to lift Swift into a higher orbit so it can continue observing some of the universe's biggest explosions, including gamma ray bursts and exploding stars. If the operation succeeds, the telescope could resume scanning space by September.
Swift, launched in 2004, is losing altitude faster than before because of recent solar storms. Observations have been paused for now to preserve its orbit for as long as possible. Without a boost, the telescope is expected to plunge to its destruction in October.
The Pegasus rocket carrying Link was released from the belly of a modified aeroplane over the Pacific and launched from the Marshall Islands. Swift, which weighs 1.6 tons (1.4 metric tons), is now orbiting 224 miles (360 kilometres) above Earth. Katalyst plans to raise its altitude by 150 miles (240 kilometres), returning it to roughly its original orbit. Link's thrusters will be used to lift Swift gradually, avoiding any strong jolt.
Katalyst said it put the mission together in just nine months after NASA pushed for urgent action, as the telescope would become too low to recover by the autumn. The launch was delayed several times at the last minute because of bad weather and technical issues.
"This is a high-risk, high-reward mission," Katalyst Space CEO Ghonhee Lee said before lift-off. "The biggest danger was always that we don't launch anything, and we let Swift burn up in the atmosphere. So we were always trying to avoid that risk, and our team has done that." NASA's Hubble Space Telescope may also be considered for a similar rescue mission in the next few years, as it too is losing altitude because of increased atmospheric drag caused by the sun's outbursts. For now, the focus is on getting Link to Swift and raising the observatory's orbit before it is too late.
With PTI Inputs
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Published By:
India Today Web Desk
Published On:
Jul 3, 2026 16:24 IST
