All articles tagged with #pegasus xl
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 is coordinating a private rescue mission to save the aging Swift Observatory from orbital decay by launching the LINK spacecraft on a Pegasus XL rocket to grapple Swift and raise its orbit back toward its original ~600 km altitude, extending its science life by years. The mission, which costs about $30 million, marks a pioneering private satellite‑servicing effort for a U.S. government asset.
NASA, with Katalyst Space and Northrop Grumman, plans a June 30 launch from Kwajalein Atoll to deploy the robotic LINK servicer on a Pegasus XL rocket to grapple and gradually raise the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory's orbit, extending its life and proving on-orbit servicing capabilities for future missions.
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 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.
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.
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.