US$30 million operation begins by NASA to save the Swift telescope from imminent fall
US$30 million operation begins by NASA to save the Swift telescope from imminent fall
NASA, Telescópio Swift, space rescue, Katalyst Space Technologies, Earth orbit
NASA has begun a complex operation to prevent the uncontrolled re-entry of Observatório Espacial Neil Gehrels Swift, a crucial instrument for studying the most energetic events in the universe. Lançado in 2004, the telescope is losing altitude at an accelerated rate, with a 90% probability of falling into the Earth’s atmosphere by the end of 2026 if no action is taken.
For the rescue mission, the space agency hired the startup Katalyst Space Technologies, from Arizona, in a deal valued at US$30 million. The company will be responsible for developing and operating a robotic vehicle designed to reach Swift, dock with it and propel it into a higher, safer orbit, extending its useful life by several years.
The problem has been intensified by the current peak activity of solar cycle 25, which heats and expands the upper atmosphere of Terra. The Esse phenomenon increases atmospheric drag on satellites in low orbit, such as Swift, which does not have its own propulsion system to correct its trajectory, causing its altitude to drop from 600 kilometers to around 400 kilometers in recent years.
The scientific legacy of Swift at risk
The Swift telescope represents a milestone in high-energy astrophysics, operating for two decades as the main observatory for detecting gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), the most luminous bursts in the universe since Big Bang. With its three instruments — the Telescópio of Alerta of Surtos (BAT), the Telescópio of The loss of Swift would mean an irreparable gap in the scientific community’s ability to study the death of massive stars, the merger of neutron stars and the formation of black holes, phenomena that release these intense beams of radiation. Over the course of its mission, the observatory detected more than a thousand GRBs, monitored comets, supernovae and active galaxies, contributing to more than 10,000 scientific publications and solidifying its role as one of NASA’s most productive space assets, with an original cost of approximately $500 million.
Details of the robotic rescue operation
The responsibility for executing the maneuver falls to Katalyst Space Technologies, a company founded in 2022 that quickly stood out in the on-orbit services sector. The company has developed the “Link” robotic service vehicle, designed specifically for docking missions with satellites that were not originally built to be handled in space.
The Link vehicle is equipped with three robotic arms and an advanced set of sensors that will allow for a precise approach and capture of the Swift. The process will be delicate, involving an orbital rendezvous, a detailed visual inspection to identify safe attachment points and, finally, physical docking to the telescope structure.
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Engineers from Katalyst and NASA are closely analyzing photos and technical diagrams of the Swift, dating from before its launch, to map out the most robust areas for attaching the robotic arms, avoiding any damage to the solar panels or scientific instruments.
Once the secure connection is established, the Link will use its own propulsion system to perform a controlled burn, raising the array back to its original operational altitude of 600 kilometers. The maneuver should ensure that the observatory can continue its operations for at least another decade.
Air launch as an agility strategy
To meet the mission’s tight schedule, scheduled for June 2026, NASA opted for an unconventional launch method, using the Pegasus XL rocket from Northrop Grumman. Diferente of traditional vertical launches from a land base, the Pegasus XL is a winged vehicle launched from
