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NASA prepares to launch daring rescue to save aging telescope from falling to Earth
CBS News • • general
Key Points:
- NASA is launching a $30 million mission this week to save the aging Swift Observatory by boosting it to a higher orbit using a robotic spacecraft developed by startup Katalyst Space Technologies.
- The autonomous spacecraft, named Lift, will rendezvous with Swift over about a month and then raise its orbit from 224 miles to 373 miles to prevent it from falling back to Earth due to solar activity.
- Swift, launched in 2004 and vital for detecting cosmic explosions, has ceased scientific operations to slow its descent, with the rescue mission aiming to restore its functionality by September.
- Katalyst plans to develop similar robotic missions for other satellites, including the Hubble Space Telescope, which may receive a life-extending boost as early as 2028.
- This mission marks the first American robotic satellite servicing effort, following a similar Chinese mission in 2019, and could pioneer a new industry in on-orbit satellite repair, refueling, and construction.
