All articles tagged with #orbital boost
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.
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.
NASA greenlit a rapid, high-risk mission to save the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory by docking with it using Katalyst Space Technologies’ Link servicing spacecraft and boosting its orbit. After completing environmental testing at NASA Goddard, Link will undergo final checks ahead of a June launch on Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL, with deployment from an L-1011 aircraft. Swift, launched in 2004, is decaying in orbit and would likely re-enter later in 2026 without intervention; the plan is to extend Swift’s life by lifting it to a higher orbit, leveraging commercial tech and a new class of satellite servicing.
A private company, Katalyst Space Technologies, will launch a spacecraft in 2026 to boost NASA's Swift Observatory's orbit, marking the first time a private craft has serviced a U.S. government satellite, aiming to extend the telescope's operational life and enhance its gamma-ray burst research capabilities.
SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft has successfully performed an orbital boost for the International Space Station (ISS) for the first time, marking a significant milestone in its operational capabilities. This maneuver, which is typically done by Russian Soyuz and Progress vehicles, helps maintain the ISS's altitude and trajectory. The data from this operation will aid in designing a deorbit vehicle for the ISS's planned retirement after 2030. This development reduces NASA's reliance on Russian spacecraft and supports future commercial space station operations.