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Katalyst Space

All articles tagged with #katalyst space

Swift Observatory Rescue Slips Toward Crisis as Commercial Grabber Spokesrisks Spins
sciencespace1 hour ago

Swift Observatory Rescue Slips Toward Crisis as Commercial Grabber Spokesrisks Spins

NASA's mission to rescue the Swift Observatory is at risk after the LINK grabber, launched on a Pegasus XL, began spinning uncontrollably and has only sporadic communications. Ground teams are using electric propulsion to slow the spin and stabilize LINK so it can reattempt approaching Swift and boost its orbit, potentially by late August. A successful operation would mark the first commercial robotic capture of a government satellite and extend Swift's mission to study gamma-ray bursts for years.

via USA Today|
#katalyst-space#nasa#orbital-rescue
Spin-out crisis as private LINK mission races to rescue NASA’s Swift telescope
space5 days ago

Spin-out crisis as private LINK mission races to rescue NASA’s Swift telescope

A private mission by Katalyst Space to reposition NASA’s Swift gamma‑ray observatory has hit a snag: the LINK spacecraft is spinning after launch, threatening to delay the rescue unless engineers can stabilize it. With two of three attitude‑control wheels malfunctioning and rotation reduced to about four degrees per second from nine, teams aim for a late‑August rendezvous with Swift before the telescope drops back to Earth this autumn, a success that could extend Swift’s life by years and cost roughly $30 million.

via Live Science|
#katalyst-space#link-spacecraft#nasa
NASA plots daring private rescue to save the Swift observatory
space1 month ago

NASA plots daring private rescue to save the Swift observatory

NASA is planning an unprecedented rescue to save the Swift gamma-ray burst observatory from a rapidly decaying low-Earth orbit by launching the LINK robotic servicing spacecraft on a Pegasus XL to capture and boost Swift to a higher orbit, extending its mission life and marking the first time a commercial vehicle would service a government satellite not designed for in-space servicing.

via USA Today|
#katalyst-space#link#nasa
NASA to Preview Robotic Mission to Lift Swift Observatory's Orbit
space1 month ago

NASA to Preview Robotic Mission to Lift Swift Observatory's Orbit

NASA will host an audio-only teleconference to preview the Katalyst Space mission, in which the LINK robotic servicing spacecraft will rendezvous with the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to boost its altitude and extend the telescope's science mission; the LINK craft is slated to launch later this month on Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL from Kwajalein Atoll, marking a milestone in robotic space servicing for future exploration.

via NASA (.gov)|
#katalyst-space#link#nasa