Robotic boost to save NASA's Swift observatory from reentry
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.