NASA has called off a $30 million mission to save its Swift Observatory, a spacecraft that has been instrumental in observing cosmic phenomena for two decades. The decision comes after the rescue spacecraft, Link, built by startup Katalyst Space Technologies, experienced control problems following its launch in early July.
Katalyst announced Wednesday that Link would not proceed with capturing Swift and boosting it to a higher, more stable orbit. The failure to secure the telescope means it is now slated for a fiery reentry into Earth's atmosphere later this year, with its demise not expected before October. Swift has been actively tracking major cosmic events, including gamma ray bursts and exploding stars, since its launch in 2004.
Intense solar activity caused Swift's orbit to decay faster than anticipated, prompting the rescue attempt. The Link spacecraft, intended to tow Swift to its original operational altitude of 373 miles (600 kilometers), encountered difficulties shortly after liftoff. While flight controllers managed to slow Link's uncontrolled spin, persistent issues with its pointing and positioning in orbit led to the mission's cancellation. Swift was orbiting at approximately 214 miles (345 kilometers) as of Wednesday.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated that while this was not the desired outcome, the mission was still worth attempting. "We took on this high-risk, high-reward challenge and are proud of the milestones we reached along the way," said Katalyst CEO Ghonhee Lee, acknowledging the ambitious timeline and the significant learning derived from the endeavor.
Katalyst plans to continue operating the Link spacecraft in proximity to Swift to test capabilities for future orbital rescue operations. The company's CEO noted that the mission was developed in under a year.
Swift's science instruments were powered down earlier this year to mitigate its descent. The success of this mission could have paved the way for similar rescue attempts for other aging spacecraft, such as NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, which is also experiencing orbital decay due to increased solar activity. It remains uncertain if Hubble will still be a candidate for future orbital boosts.
