All articles tagged with #katalyst space technologies
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.