Space Mission Launched to Save NASA’s Swift Observatory

A spacecraft launched on a rescue mission to save a rapidly descending NASA telescope. The mission aimed to prevent the telescope from falling to Earth.

The vehicle, launched by Northrop Grumman, is from Katalyst Space Technologies. It took off from the Marshall Islands. The Pegasus rocket deployed it from a modified aircraft. Now the spacecraft is on a course to rendezvous with the Swift Observatory within a month.

Swift Observatory, which launched in 2004, is descending faster than usual due to recent solar storms. NASA has invested $30 million in the Katalyst mission. The goal is to raise Swift’s orbit to continue its work on tracking some of the universe’s largest cosmic events, including gamma-ray bursts and supernovae.

If successful, Swift could resume its operations by September. For now, observations are paused to maintain the telescope’s current orbit. NASA is considering a similar operation for the Hubble Space Telescope. Hubble too is losing altitude due to increased atmospheric drag from solar activity.

Swift, weighing 1.6 tons, orbits 360 kilometers (224 miles) above Earth. Katalyst intends to boost it back by 240 kilometers (150 miles) to its starting altitude. The Link spacecraft’s thrusters will propel Swift carefully to avoid harsh maneuvers.

Katalyst managed to organize the mission in nine months. NASA stressed urgency since the telescope would fall too low for recovery by fall. Without intervention, it might descend fatally by October.

Unfavorable weather and technical issues delayed the launch. “This mission involves high risks and high rewards,” said Ghonhee Lee, Katalyst Space CEO, before launch. “Letting Swift burn up was the biggest risk we aimed to avert, and our team succeeded.”

The Associated Press Science and Health Department received support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. AP takes sole responsibility for its content. This report was translated from English with AI assistance.