NASA abandons rescue of Swift Observatory after spacecraft control failure
The 22-year-old gamma-ray telescope is now expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere later this year after the commercial LINK servicer could not complete the boost mission.
Washington1 min read
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NASA has called off its $30 million attempt to raise the orbit of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory after the commercial servicing spacecraft LINK suffered ongoing attitude-control problems.
The agency and Katalyst Space Technologies announced on 19 August that LINK will not capture or boost Swift. The telescope, launched in 2004, has been tracking gamma-ray bursts and other transient events. Increased solar activity accelerated its orbital decay, forcing science operations to pause in February.
LINK launched on 3 July aboard a Pegasus XL rocket. Controllers later regained contact after a spin, but control issues persisted and made a safe grapple impossible. NASA said Swift is likely to re-enter later this year and burn up harmlessly.
The mission was also intended to demonstrate commercial satellite-servicing technology. LINK will still attempt proximity operations. NASA said it will use existing missions to fill the observational gap and has no current plans for another Swift boost.
