NASA, Katalyst call off SWIFT rescue mission over issues with rescue craft in space
The failed mission leaves Swift on course to burn up later this year and gives NASA data for future satellite servicing efforts.
- On Wednesday, NASA called off the mission to rescue the sinking Swift Observatory, dooming the telescope to a fiery atmospheric reentry later this year.
- Katalyst Space Technologies' Link spacecraft entered an uncontrollable spin weeks after its July launch, with persistent pointing and positioning issues eventually forcing the mission's cancellation.
- NASA paid $30 million to Katalyst to raise the telescope to a safer orbit; Swift has tracked universe explosions for more than 20 years before this setback.
- Katalyst CEO Ghonhee Lee said "we have already learned a tremendous amount," and the company will keep Link in orbit near Swift to demonstrate future rescue capabilities.
- NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman called the mission "worth attempting" despite the cancellation, while the 36-year-old Hubble Space Telescope also faces orbital decay from solar outbursts.
218 Articles
218 Articles
NASA abandons orbit-boost attempt to rescue Swift space telescope
The mission to rescue NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory space telescope may be in need of some rescuing itself. Due to multiple malfunctions in the LINK spacecraft's attitude control system, space engineers have decided to abandon the boost attempt.Continue ReadingCategory: Space Systems, EngineeringTags: Swift Satellite, NASA, Satellite
NASA abandons attempt to rescue aging space telescope from atmospheric re-entry
NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies have ended their mission to save the Swift Observatory. Persistent attitude-control failures on the Link servicing vehicle prevented a safe rendezvous. The observatory's trajectory was impacted by heightened solar activity and atmospheric drag. Swift is now on track for an uncontrolled atmospheric re-entry later this year. This outcome highlights risks in commercial in-orbit servicing operations.
The manoeuvre to be performed by the robot to rescue the Swift telescope had never before been carried out in space.
NASA Calls Off Mission To Rescue Swift Observatory
NASA has called off an attempt to rescue the Swift Observatory after problems with the spacecraft designed to move the ageing telescope into a safer orbit. The decision means Swift is expected to eventually reenter Earth's atmosphere and burn up.Katalyst Space Technologies' Link spacecraft developed an uncontrollable spin several weeks after its July launch and experienced continuing pointing and positioning problems. NASA had awarded Katalyst $…
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