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Nasa launches robot to save Swift telescope falling to Earth
BBC • • general
Key Points:
- NASA has launched the LINK spacecraft on a high-risk mission to catch and rescue the Swift observatory, a space telescope at risk of crashing back to Earth due to its rapidly lowering orbit.
- The Swift observatory, launched in 2004, studies powerful cosmic explosions and has descended from 373 miles to about 220 miles altitude, primarily because increased solar activity has expanded Earth's atmosphere, causing drag.
- LINK, designed by Katalyst Space Technologies, is a three-armed robotic spacecraft equipped with cameras and sensors that will approach, capture, and attempt to lift Swift back to a stable orbit over the next few months.
- If successful, the mission will preserve the unique scientific capabilities of Swift, which is crucial for studying high-energy cosmic phenomena, and could pave the way for future rescue missions of other valuable telescopes like Hubble.
