NASA Awards $30 Million to Save $500 Million Swift Mission From Orbital Decay
Updated
Updated · Ars Technica · Jun 19
NASA Awards $30 Million to Save $500 Million Swift Mission From Orbital Decay
1 articles · Updated · Ars Technica · Jun 19
Summary
$30 million will fund Katalyst Space Technologies to build, test and launch a servicing satellite that will rendezvous with Swift, grab it with three robotic arms and raise its orbit.
Swift needs the rescue because atmospheric drag has steadily pulled the 2004 observatory down from about 363 miles to 225 miles, with the decay expected to accelerate until reentry.
NASA selected Katalyst after asking three companies last year for a plan to do something not previously done—develop and launch a rescue spacecraft in less than a year on a tight budget.
The mission aims to preserve a still-active $500 million observatory whose instruments remain important for detecting and locating gamma-ray bursts for follow-up by other telescopes.
If the July 4th orbital capture succeeds, what new cosmic mysteries will the 21-year-old Swift observatory solve?
Can a startup's robotic arms save a $500M NASA satellite from fiery destruction in its very first mission?
Saving Swift: The $500 Million, 21-Year-Old Gamma-Ray Observatory’s High-Stakes Robotic Rescue and the Future of In-Space Servicing
Overview
The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, launched in 2004, has been a vital alert system for the astrophysics community, detecting around 100 gamma-ray bursts each year thanks to its rapid-response instruments. Now, after two decades of continuous operation, Swift faces a critical threat from accelerating orbital decay caused by atmospheric drag, which is heavily influenced by unpredictable space weather. With no replacement planned, an urgent rescue mission is underway to boost Swift’s orbit and extend its life. This mission is crucial to preserve Swift’s unique scientific capabilities and maintain its essential role in space research.