NASA aims to save a sinking space telescope with a rendezvous in orbit

Key Points:

• NASA plans to launch a mission on Wednesday to save its Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, a space telescope studying gamma-ray bursts, which is at risk of re-entering Earth's atmosphere due to a rapidly decaying orbit.
• The mission involves deploying a robotic spacecraft called LINK, built by Katalyst Space Technologies, via Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL rocket launched from a Stargazer airplane; LINK will capture Swift and boost its orbit over several months.
• Swift's orbit has decayed faster than usual due to increased atmospheric drag caused by the 2024 solar maximum, which heats Earth's atmosphere and thickens the air at low-Earth orbit altitudes.
• If successful, the mission will not only extend Swift's scientific operations but also demonstrate the potential for in-orbit satellite servicing, refueling, and upgrading, potentially reducing costs for future space missions.
• Launched in 2004 with a two-year mission plan, Swift has significantly contributed to astrophysics by studying over 1,400 gamma-ray bursts, including one from 13 billion light-years away, and the upcoming mission marks a pioneering effort to service a satellite not originally designed for in-orbit maintenance.