All articles tagged with #satellite rescue
Katalyst Space Technologies launched its Link satellite aboard a Pegasus XL rocket to rendezvous with NASA’s Swift gamma-ray observatory in a weeks-long, robotic rescue mission that could lift Swift into a higher orbit using three capture arms and propulsion, marking a first-of-its-kind commercial servicing effort.
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 launched the LINK servicing satellite aboard a Pegasus XL rocket to rendezvous with the aging Swift Observatory and tow it into a higher, stable orbit to prevent its reentry into Earth's atmosphere. LINK, built by Katalyst Space Technologies, will use robotic arms to capture Swift and then fire ion thrusters to gradually raise the duo’s orbit over months, extending Swift’s scientific life for years at a cost of about $30 million — a private mission that could mark the first private capture of a U.S. government satellite.
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.