NASA calls off mission to rescue Swift Observatory after technical hiccups
A spacecraft designed to boost Swift into a higher orbit developed attitude-control problems after launch.
The Nancy Grace Roman telescope is scheduled to launch this year on Aug. 30. It is designed to answer questions on exoplanets and dark energy, the force believed to be behind our universe’s expansion.
A mission to rescue NASA’s Swift Observatory was canceled after a series of technical issues with the rescue spacecraft, the space agency announced on Wednesday.
Katalyst Space Technologies’ LINK spacecraft was meant to pull the satellite to a higher altitude to extend its mission by several years. NASA said in a statement the Swift rescue mission was called off “due to an ongoing commercial spacecraft attitude control issue."
Without intervention, the agency predicts Swift will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere later this year.
“Katalyst designed, developed and launched an experimental spacecraft to go after an ambitious mission on an aggressive timeline,” Katalyst CEO Ghonhee Lee said in a statement. “We took on this high-risk, high-reward challenge and are proud of the milestones we reached along the way.”
NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, shown in this artist’s concept, has orbited Earth for more than 20 years, studying the ever-changing universe. (Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab)
NASA launched the $30 million rescue mission on July 3 after increased solar activity caused Swift’s orbit to deteriorate quicker than expected. The LINK spacecraft was designed to capture the observatory with robotic arms and boost it into higher altitude, since it does not have its own propulsion system to do so.
Less than two weeks after launching, LINK began spinning in orbit due to attitude-control issues. Teams worked to address the problems, which included problems with the spacecraft’s reaction wheels.
While the rescue efforts were unsuccessful, LINK will still operate in orbit, conducting “rendezvous and proximity operations” with Swift to gather data for future space exploration.
“This is not the outcome we were working toward, but it does not change why this mission was worth attempting,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in the release. “We are going to learn everything we can from LINK’s rendezvous attempt and put those lessons to work on the missions that follow.”
A solar panel extends from the side of Katalyst Space’s LINK robotic servicing spacecraft in orbit in this image captured by one of LINK’s cameras July 9, 2026. LINK will use the array to power systems as it attempts to boost the altitude of NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory this summer. (Image credit: Katalyst Space)
The Swift observatory launched in 2004 to observe gamma-ray bursts, black holes and other cosmic events. It was designed for a two-year prime mission, and its low Earth orbit began decaying after 21 years of operations, NASA explained.
The space agency awarded Katalyst Space, an Arizona-based startup focused on building a fleet of autonomous robotic spacecraft, a contract in September 2025 to create a mission to boost Swift’s orbit. Lee added the company has learned a “tremendous amount” from the mission, which they will use to improve future operations.
Report a Typo
