NASA’s First Commercial Space Rescue Mission Aims to Save the Swift Observatory | WPN World People News

The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), in partnership with startup company Katalyst, has officially launched an ambitious space rescue mission aimed at saving the Swift Observatory, a scientific satellite valued at US$250 million that has been in service for more than two decades.

Since its launch in 2004, the Swift Observatory has continuously detected high-energy gamma-ray bursts across the universe, providing astronomers with invaluable scientific data. However, intensified solar activity during the current solar maximum has heated and expanded Earth's upper atmosphere, increasing atmospheric drag and causing the satellite's orbit to decay. Without intervention, Swift could re-enter Earth's atmosphere and burn up as early as October this year.

To extend the life of this scientifically significant observatory, NASA has committed approximately US$30 million to launch a robotic spacecraft named LINK aboard a Pegasus rocket.

Once in orbit, LINK will locate the Swift Observatory and secure it using three robotic arms. Over the course of several months, it will gradually raise the satellite's orbit by approximately 300 kilometers to a more stable altitude. Although experts estimate the mission has only about a 50% chance of success, with the rendezvous and docking posing major technical challenges, a successful operation could allow Swift to resume observations as early as September. The mission would not only extend the satellite's operational life by another 10 years, but also establish a new benchmark for future on-orbit satellite servicing and orbital-boost missions.