NASA Launches $30 Million Mission to Rescue Swift Telescope

NASA is undertaking a $30 million mission to save the Swift Observatory from falling back to Earth. The operation, utilizing a robotic spacecraft developed by startup Katalyst Space Technologies, aims to propel the aging telescope into a higher orbit, extending its scientific lifespan.

The rescue mission is slated to begin as soon as this week, with a planned launch from an atoll in the Marshall Islands aboard an airplane-launched Pegasus rocket. Katalyst's three-armed spacecraft, named Link, will rendezvous with Swift and then work to raise its orbit from the current 224 miles (360 kilometers) to a more stable 373 miles (600 kilometers).

Swift, launched in 2004, has been descending faster due to intense solar activity. Engineers estimate that the observatory must be above 185 miles (300 kilometers) for the rescue to be successful, and it is expected to reach this critical point in October. If successful, Swift could resume operations by September.

This mission marks a significant step in robotic space servicing. While China has previously boosted a satellite into a higher orbit, this is the first American robotic mission of its kind. "This is the first American space robot to go up and do anything like this," said Ghonhee Lee, CEO of Katalyst Space Technologies. "NASA has all these big senior observatories… all of them can benefit from a service like this. So what we're proving with this mission is this is a new play in the playbook that’s available."

Link, described as roughly the size of a small kitchen refrigerator with a 40-foot solar wingspan, is equipped with three arms, each featuring two grippers. The spacecraft will take approximately one month to rendezvous with Swift and another couple of months to complete the orbital boost.

Swift, a gamma-ray observatory valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, was not originally designed for repair or retrieval. "I have to be honest. No one thought it was going to be possible. No one thought we would get as far as we've already gotten today," said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, NASA’s astrophysics director.

To conserve Swift's altitude and buy more time, NASA ceased scientific observations in February and turned off all instruments. "If we let Swift reenter, we would lose that telescope. We would lose a lot of capability," said Nicky Fox, NASA’s science mission chief. "We don’t currently have the budget to build another one to replace that."

Swift is designed for rapid pivoting to capture transient astronomical events like gamma-ray bursts and exploding stars. Its ability to act as "NASA's first responder" makes its preservation crucial, especially with upcoming missions like the Webb Space Telescope and the soon-to-launch Roman Space Telescope.

Katalyst views the Swift mission as a precursor to a broader in-space servicing industry. The company is developing a next-generation robot capable of servicing satellites at much higher altitudes, with potential applications including refueling, repairs, and construction of orbital platforms. The Hubble Space Telescope, launched 36 years ago, could potentially be serviced by a similar Katalyst mission in 2028.