Katalyst, NASA Launch $30 Million LINK Mission to Save Swift as Telescope Falls 8 Kilometers a Month
Updated
Updated · abcnews.com · Jun 23
Katalyst, NASA Launch $30 Million LINK Mission to Save Swift as Telescope Falls 8 Kilometers a Month
3 articles · Updated · abcnews.com · Jun 23
Summary
$30 million is riding on Saturday’s LINK launch, which will try to capture NASA’s 22-year-old Swift observatory before its decaying orbit makes a rescue impossible.
Swift has dropped from about 370 miles to under 250 miles altitude and is now falling roughly 8 kilometers a month, with NASA expecting it to sink below the mission’s workable range around October.
935-pound LINK was built in 250 days to grab a satellite never designed for servicing; after a roughly three-week rendezvous, it would spend two to three months boosting Swift into a safer orbit.
NASA halted most Swift science operations to cut drag, and a successful boost could restore observations and add about 10 years to a telescope that still fields heavy demand for gamma-ray-burst follow-ups.
The mission is also a test case for on-orbit satellite rescue, though capture risks, spacecraft operations and unpredictable space weather could still derail the first-of-its-kind attempt.
Will a robotic tow truck for satellites ignite a new multi-trillion dollar space economy?
With nations racing to master orbital repairs, who will dominate the 'roadside assistance' of space?
Saving Swift: NASA’s Daring 2026 Mission to Roboticly Reboost a Critical Gamma-Ray Observatory
Overview
NASA and its partners are preparing to launch the Swift Boost rescue mission, aiming to save the Swift satellite from orbital decay. Central to this effort is the Link spacecraft, developed by Katalyst Space, which was rapidly designed and built in just nine months. The mission is groundbreaking, as Link will attempt to capture an unprepared satellite in orbit—a first of its kind. This commercial mission not only seeks to extend Swift’s scientific contributions but also sets a new standard for rapid, real-world space operations and future partnerships between government and private industry.