LINK Battles Spin as NASA Tries to Save Swift Observatory
TL;DR
NASA's LINK spacecraft, built to dock with and tug the Swift Observatory into a higher orbit, is having attitude-control problems and is spinning, disrupting communications. Two of its three reaction wheels are nonfunctional and its cold-gas thrusters have degraded, but ground teams plan to use electric propulsion to stop the spin and reestablish guidance so a rendezvous with Swift can be reassessed; the mission remains active as Swift continues to decay due to increased atmospheric drag from solar activity.
- The Spacecraft NASA Sent To Rescue The Falling Swift Observatory Is In Trouble Engadget
- Commissioning Update for Spacecraft to Boost NASA’s Swift NASA Science (.gov)
- Mission to Save Falling NASA Space Telescope Suffers Setback The New York Times
- NASA launched this spacecraft to save a satellite. Now, it needs saving too Yahoo
- Rescue mission to save NASA’s Swift space telescope is imperiled in orbit Scientific American
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