Katalyst Space Technologies completes LINK spacecraft testing for Swift boost mission
Updated
Updated · Science@NASA · May 8
Katalyst Space Technologies completes LINK spacecraft testing for Swift boost mission
9 articles · Updated · Science@NASA · May 8
Testing ended on 4 May at NASA Goddard in Maryland, ahead of Pegasus integration in Virginia in early June and an air launch from the Marshall Islands later that month.
LINK is designed to rendezvous with, grab and raise the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, which NASA says could re-enter later this year without intervention as solar activity accelerates orbital decay.
Katalyst, contracted in September 2025, has had less than a year to design, build, test and launch the high-risk robotic servicing mission, with further prelaunch checks now under way in Colorado.
With its orbit decaying faster than expected, will this last-ditch robotic rescue reach the tumbling observatory in time?
Is a $30M rescue for a 22-year-old satellite a bargain or a gamble delaying investment in newer technology?
This mission saves one satellite, but can its technology help solve the orbital junk crisis before a catastrophic collision?