Business · Wired
NASA Cancels Its Rescue Mission for the Aging Swift Telescope
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The Swift space observatory has been in operation since 2004.
Key facts
- The Swift space observatory has been in operation since 2004
- To do this, NASA turned to the company Katalyst Space Technologies and its LINK spacecraft
- Some models had indicated that the observatory could remain in orbit until the 2030s, but increased solar activity during 2024 changed those projections
- Agency administrator Jared Isaacman explained that the decision was due to problems with the spacecraft’s control system
Summary
It specializes in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), the most energetic electromagnetic explosions known in the universe. Swift doesn’t have a propulsion system capable of significantly raising its orbit. NASA knew that Swift had limited time left. Faced with the rapid deterioration of Swift’s orbit, NASA decided to attempt a rescue maneuver straight out of a movie. LINK was launched into space on July 3, 2026.