Mission to save NASA's Swift space telescope is called off

Key Points:

• NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies have called off the mission to save the Swift Observatory due to problems controlling the rescue spacecraft, Link, which means the telescope will reenter Earth's atmosphere and be destroyed later this year.
• NASA invested $30 million in the attempt to boost Swift to a higher orbit after intense solar activity caused it to lose altitude faster than expected; however, Link went into an uncontrollable spin shortly after launch, preventing the rescue.
• Despite the mission's failure, Katalyst will continue operating Link near Swift to demonstrate capabilities for future satellite rescue operations, with the company acknowledging the ambitious and high-risk nature of the project.
• Swift, launched in 2004, had its science instruments turned off earlier this year to slow its orbital decay and was orbiting at approximately 216 miles altitude before the mission was aborted.
• NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, also experiencing orbital decay due to solar activity, was next in line for a potential rescue mission, but it is now unclear if a similar effort will be made following Swift's mission cancellation.