NASA races to save Swift telescope from falling back to Earth with daring rescue mission
NASA hired Katalyst Space Technologies to attempt the first commercial robotic capture of a government satellite never designed for in-space servicing.
- NASA hired startup Katalyst Space Technologies for a $30 million rescue mission to save the aging Swift Observatory, with the robotic spacecraft launching as early as Tuesday from the Marshall Islands.
- Swift has been losing altitude due to intense solar activity since its 2004 launch and must remain above 185 miles to function; estimates suggest it could reach a point of no return by October.
- Katalyst's autonomous spacecraft, named Lift, features a 40-foot solar wingspan and three arms with pinching grippers, requiring one month to rendezvous with Swift and two months to raise its orbit to 373 miles.
- Katalyst Space CEO Ghonhee Lee called the mission "a new play in the playbook," marking the first time an American space robot has attempted such a recovery and establishing a new repair industry.
- Successful operation could enable future missions, as thirty-six-year-old Hubble also faces altitude loss and could receive a life-extending boost from Katalyst as early as 2028.
92 Articles
92 Articles
NASA launches rescue mission to stop telescope from falling back to Earth
NASA is commencing a $30 million rescue mission as soon as this week to nudge a space observatory to a higher orbit before it falls back to the planet. The Swift Observatory, launched in 2004, studies some of the most energetic explosions in the universe and has been falling back to Earth due to recent higher-than-usual solar activity. NASA hired Katalyst Space Technologies to save the observatory, which comprises three specialized telescopes, b…
The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has hired the startup Katalyst Space Technologies to launch the Swift satellite into a higher orbit. This will allow the device to continue its search for the largest explosions in the universe. NASA's Swift Satellite Mission: The three-armed spacecraft built by Katalyst will launch after the satellite immediately after liftoff from an atoll in the Pacific Marshall Islands. It will be c…
Can NASA save the Swift Observatory? Agency has a plan to try
NASA plans daring robotic rescue mission to prevent an aging space telescope from falling back to Earth, and the legendary Hubble could be next
NASA is racing to save an aging telescope from falling back to Earth with a daring rescue mission. The $30 million salvage operation gets underway as soon as this week with the planned launch of a robotic lifesaver. NASA hired startup Katalyst Space Technologies to boost the Swift Observatory to a higher orbit where it can continue hunting for some of the universe’s biggest explosions. A three-armed spacecraft built by Katalyst will chase after …
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