Rescue mission for NASA’s $500 million space telescope passes key testing milestone

Rescue mission for NASA’s $500 million space telescope passes key testing milestone

Engineers from Katalyst stabilize their Link robotic servicing spacecraft as it moves into a vibration chamber at NASA Goddard on April 15, 2026. The vibration chamber simulated the intense shaking Link will experience during launch. Image: NASA/Sophia Roberts A mission to prevent a $500 million NASA space observatory from meeting a fiery demise just passed a notable prelaunch testing milestone. The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, a spacecraft l…

Rush Rescue Mission for NASA's $500M Space Telescope Passes Key Milestone

NASA's $500 million Neil Gehrels Swift space observatory was launched in 2004. But it's now "at risk of falling back through the atmosphere and burning up without intervention," reports Spaceflight Now. Fortunately, a mission to prevent that "just passed a notable prelaunch testing milestone." On Friday, NASA announced that the Link spacecraft, manufactured by Katalyst Space Technologies to intervene before Swift's fate is sealed, completed its …

Swift reboost mission completes environmental tests

WASHINGTON — A spacecraft designed to raise the decaying orbit of a NASA astrophysics satellite has passed environmental tests ahead of a launch as soon as June. NASA and spacecraft manufacturer Katalyst Space said May 8 that Katalyst’s Link spacecraft successfully completed a series of environmental tests at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. That work included vibration tests to mimic the environment Link will experience during launch on a No…