A private spacecraft built to rescue NASA’s aging Swift Observatory managed to come within just 9 miles of the telescope, even though it could no longer save it. The close approach gave NASA valuable images and data while also providing experience that could help with future missions to repair or extend the lives of satellites in orbit.
Link Makes a Final Approach to Swift
Katalyst Space Technologies’ Link spacecraft came within 15 kilometers, or about 9 miles, of Swift on Tuesday. Its sensors collected information and captured images of the telescope before the spacecraft had to move away.
The original plan was much more ambitious. Link was designed with three robotic arms and was supposed to capture Swift and lift it into a higher orbit.
That would have given the aging NASA telescope more time to continue studying the universe.
“We got so close, but so far,” Katalyst CEO Ghonhee Lee told The Associated Press.
A Spacecraft Rescue Runs Into Trouble
The rescue mission had already been abandoned in August after Link developed serious problems of its own.
Soon after launching toward Swift in July, Link entered an uncontrolled spin. Flight controllers eventually managed to slow the spinning and stabilize the spacecraft, but doing so used valuable fuel.
By the time Link was under control, it no longer had enough fuel to safely capture Swift and raise the telescope into a higher orbit.
Katalyst said the close approach was still useful because it allowed the company to test technology and procedures that could be used in future satellite-servicing missions.
Nine Months to Build a $30 Million Mission
NASA paid Katalyst $30 million for the rescue attempt.
Lee said one of the biggest challenges was how quickly the mission had to be developed. The entire project was put together in only nine months.
Because of the short timeline, engineers sometimes had to use parts that were immediately available instead of waiting for their preferred equipment.
NASA and Katalyst knew from the beginning that the mission carried significant risks. One major concern was avoiding a collision between Link and Swift, which could have created dangerous space debris.
NASA Says the Mission Was Worth Attempting
Despite the unsuccessful rescue, NASA officials say missions like this can provide important lessons for the future.
“Unfortunately, it wasn’t the outcome that we were expecting,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said following the launch of NASA’s Roman Space Telescope.
Isaacman said NASA should continue attempting experimental missions of this kind because even unsuccessful efforts can provide knowledge that helps future projects.
The mission also gave Katalyst a chance to test technology for servicing spacecraft already in orbit, an area that could become increasingly important as satellites and telescopes age.
Swift Faces a Fiery Return to Earth
Swift has been orbiting Earth since its launch in 2004. The telescope has spent more than two decades studying powerful events across the universe, including gamma-ray bursts and exploding stars.
But its orbit has been falling faster than expected because of increased solar activity.
NASA now expects Swift to reenter Earth’s atmosphere sometime between October and the end of 2026.
The agency had stopped scientific observations earlier this year to conserve the telescope’s limited power. Observations resumed last week, giving scientists more time to use Swift before its expected return to Earth.
Hubble Could Face a Similar Problem
Swift is not the only major NASA telescope losing altitude.
The Hubble Space Telescope has also seen its orbit lowered by solar activity. Hubble has been operating for more than 36 years and remains one of NASA’s most important scientific observatories.
Katalyst is already developing a next-generation spacecraft that could potentially raise Hubble into a higher and longer-lasting orbit.
The experience gained from Link’s difficult mission could therefore play a role in protecting other valuable spacecraft.
A Failed Rescue With Lessons for the Future
Link could not complete its main mission of saving Swift, but getting within 9 miles of the telescope demonstrated how close a private robotic spacecraft could come to an aging observatory in orbit. The data collected during the approach may help NASA and Katalyst prepare for future servicing missions.
Swift’s time in space is now running out, but the attempt to save it could influence how NASA protects other spacecraft in the years ahead.
