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Katalyst Space Technologies

All articles tagged with #katalyst space technologies

space5 days ago•4 min saved

Swift reboost plan scrapped after Link attitude-control woes

Katalyst Space and NASA have canceled plans to use the Link spacecraft to grapple and raise the Swift gamma-ray observatory's orbit due to ongoing attitude-control problems (including a spin from failing reaction wheels). Link will instead conduct rendezvous and proximity operations near Swift, but the reboost is off, effectively ending Swift's active science phase this year; NASA and Katalyst will use the experience to inform future satellite servicing efforts.

via spacenews.com|

#katalyst-space-technologies #link-spacecraft #nasa

technology15 days ago•14 min saved

Katalyst Space edges toward Swift boost after attitude-control recovery

Katalyst Space Technologies reports progress in stabilizing its Link servicing spacecraft after a post-launch spin problem, slowing rotation from about 9 degrees per second to 1.47 deg/s with a thruster and conserving propellant, with a major flight software update planned to regain attitude control and set up a grapple with NASA’s Swift Observatory to raise its decaying orbit before Swift deorbits later this year.

via SpaceNews|

#attitude-control #katalyst-space-technologies #link-spacecraft

space17 days ago•203 min saved

Swift Observatory Rescue Scrambles as LINK Faces Spin Crisis

A NASA-led effort to save the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory from orbital decay hit setbacks after the privately built LINK spacecraft spun out of control following its July launch. LINK’s spin has been slowed and stabilized, but a grappling rendezvous with Swift and a two-to-three month orbit-boost plan face delays. While mission teams reassess and patch software, the rescue’s timing remains uncertain, though there is still hope the observatory can resume science operations if the boost succeeds.

via cnn.com|

#katalyst-space-technologies #link-satellite #nasa

technology1 month ago•7 min saved

Katalyst launches autonomous Link to rendezvous with NASA’s Swift in a first-of-its-kind space rescue

NASA’s Swift gamma-ray burst observatory is being rescued by Katalyst Space Technologies with its Link satellite, launched on a Pegasus XL. Over the coming weeks, Link will conduct checks and then autonomously approach Swift to attempt a robotic capture and lift the observatory to a higher, safer orbit, marking a pioneering robotic servicing mission.

via Ars Technica|

#katalyst-space-technologies #link-satellite #orbital-rescue

science1 month ago•28 min saved

Swift Observatory Rescued: Private Link Craft Boosts Orbital Altitude to Avert Reentry

NASA and private contractor Katalyst Space Technologies launched an emergency mission to save the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory from burning up in Earth’s atmosphere, sending the Link servicing spacecraft to intercept Swift and raise its orbit by about 150 miles (from roughly 224 miles) in a nine‑month, $30 million effort to preserve the $500 million gamma‑ray‑burst observatory.

via The Verge|

#gamma-ray-bursts #katalyst-space-technologies #nasa

space1 month ago•4 min saved

Three-armed rescue craft heads to save NASA's Swift Observatory from decay

A high-stakes mission launched with Northrop Grumman’s Link spacecraft to capture NASA’s Swift Observatory and lift its orbit by about 150 miles, preventing its fall to Earth and allowing resumed gamma-ray burst observations by September.

via WRAL|

#katalyst-space-technologies #link-spacecraft #nasa-swift-observatory

science1 month ago•1 min saved

Last-minute snag delays NASA's Swift telescope rescue

A last-minute launch problem prevented detaching the Pegasus rocket from the carrier plane, delaying the planned rescue of NASA's Swift Observatory. The $30 million salvage mission by Katalyst Space Technologies is on hold with no new launch date yet; Swift, launched in 2004, could reenter by October if not recovered, and NASA has paused its science operations to preserve the telescope's orbit.

via ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos|

#katalyst-space-technologies #nasa #pegasus-rocket

science1 month ago•6 min saved

NASA bets on three-armed robot to rescue aging Swift observatory

NASA is racing to save the aging Swift gamma-ray observatory from fiery reentry with a $30 million robotic rescue. Katalyst Space Technologies’ three-armed Link will launch aboard a Pegasus rocket from the Marshall Islands, rendezvous with Swift within about a month, and gradually raise its orbit from roughly 224 miles to 373 miles to avert the October “point of no return.” The mission—with Swift’s instruments powered down to slow descent—could preserve valuable data, demonstrate a new US space-repair capability, and pave the way for future rescues of other observatories such as Hubble.

via Los Angeles Times|

#katalyst-space-technologies #nasa #orbital-rescue

space2 months ago•102 min saved

NASA bets $30M on daring rescue to save its aging Swift telescope

NASA is funding a $30 million, first-of-its-kind rescue mission (Swift Boost) to capture and reboost the aging Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory using Katalyst Space’s Link, aiming to extend the telescope’s life by years; the risky rendezvous would launch June 27, 2026 on a Pegasus XL rocket, or Swift could burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.

via Space|

#katalyst-space-technologies #nasa #pegasus-xl-rocket

space2 months ago•11 min saved

Commercial robot to rescue NASA’s aging Swift space telescope

NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory—launched in 2004 and now tumbling in low Earth orbit due to solar-driven drag—could be saved by LINK, a seven‑month-built robotic spacecraft from Katalyst Space Technologies that would capture Swift and raise its orbit using a Pegasus XL launch; if successful, it would mark the first commercial in‑space servicing of a government satellite, otherwise the observatory could reenter uncontrolled.

via Space Daily|

#katalyst-space-technologies #link #pegasus-xl

space2 months ago•101 min saved

NASA plots a high-stakes space-tug rescue to extend Swift Observatory lifespan

NASA aims to rescue the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory by docking a privately built Link servicing spacecraft from Katalyst Space Technologies to boost Swift into a higher orbit, potentially adding years of science; Link launches aboard a Pegasus XL on June 27 for a multi-month docking and lift, after which Swift could resume full science by fall and Link will be intentionally deorbited.

via Space|

#katalyst-space-technologies #link-servicing-spacecraft #nasa

technology2 months ago•9 min saved

Race to Save Swift: private-led rescue mission in record time

NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies are racing to save the Swift gamma-ray observatory by building the Link servicing spacecraft to capture Swift and boost it back to a safe orbit, launching aboard Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL on a record-fast timeline. The mission relies on streamlined contracting and aggressive testing under time pressure, potentially setting a blueprint for rapid, private-public space missions, though Swift continues to decay in low Earth orbit.

via Ars Technica|

#katalyst-space-technologies #nasa #orbital-decay

space5 months ago•7 min saved

Private rescue mission targets in-orbit docking to save aging NASA observatory

Aging NASA observatory Swift is losing altitude, triggering a high-stakes, privately led effort to intercept and dock with the spacecraft in orbit to extend its life; if successful, the mission could redefine satellite servicing and maintenance in space while proceeding on a tight, months-long timeline with a modest $30 million budget.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#docking #katalyst-space-technologies #nasa