Katalyst Launches $30 Million LINK Tug to Save NASA's Falling Swift Telescope

3 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Jul 3

Friday's launch put Katalyst Space's 940-pound LINK servicing craft into orbit after a 4:36 a.m. ET air-drop over the Marshall Islands, with NASA confirming the Pegasus XL rocket performed as planned.
The $30 million mission targets NASA's $250 million Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, which is losing about five miles of altitude per month and could re-enter by year's end without intervention.
Over the next several weeks, controllers will check LINK's systems before attempting a robotic capture of Swift; ion thrusters would then raise it to about 370 miles in a 10- to 12-week reboost.
Swift, launched in 2004 for a two-year mission, has detected more than 2,000 gamma-ray bursts and serves as a rapid-response observatory for follow-up telescopes.
A successful rescue would extend Swift's life by roughly 10 years and bolster Katalyst's broader push to make satellites serviceable rather than disposable.

Sources

CBS New York1h ago

Katalyst Space, NASA Launch LINK Tug to Save Falling Swift Telescope

The New York Times3h ago

NASA's Swift Telescope Rescue Mission Launches with Link Spacecraft

ECOticias18h ago

NASA is preparing an extremely unusual rescue mission to save the Swift telescope, an observatory launched in 2004 that has been recording cosmic explosions and was never meant to be recovered

14 Sources

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Saving Swift: LINK’s Historic 2026 Robotic Mission to Extend the Life of NASA’s Gamma-Ray Observatory

Overview

On July 3, 2026, the LINK robotic servicing spacecraft, built by Katalyst Space Technologies, successfully launched after overcoming last-minute weather and technical delays. This mission, developed in just nine months through an urgent NASA push, marks the first attempt to save the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory from reentering Earth's atmosphere. LINK’s rapid development and launch not only aim to extend Swift’s valuable scientific work but also set a new standard for future space servicing and debris mitigation, demonstrating how quick collaboration between NASA and commercial partners can address urgent challenges in space.

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