Rescue Mission for Swift Satellite Fails, But Sparks Lessons for Future Space Tugs
TL;DR
NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies attempted to rescue NASA's Swift gamma-ray burst satellite by using Link to grab and boost it back into orbit, but Link spiraled out of control and ran low on xenon fuel, forcing the mission to abort. Link will instead conduct proximity maneuvers near Swift to test salvage techniques for future operations. Swift is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere later this year with minimal risk to people on the ground. While unsuccessful, the mission yielded valuable lessons for future space-rescue efforts.
- NASA Can't Rescue The Satellite That Was Going To Rescue Another Satellite After All Jalopnik
- NASA Updates Next Steps for Commercial Swift Boost Mission NASA (.gov)
- How a Wahoo ended up on a space rescue mission UVA Today
- Rescue mission is called off for NASA’s aging Swift space telescope AP News
- Rescue mission can’t prevent NASA observatory from falling to Earth CNN
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