NASA's Swift telescope will plunge toward Earth after rescue mission called off

Key Points:

• NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies have called off the mission to save the Swift Observatory after the Link spacecraft experienced control issues, dooming the telescope to reenter Earth's atmosphere later this year.
• The Swift Observatory, launched in 2004 and designed for a two-year mission, has been slowly losing altitude due to atmospheric drag intensified by solar activity, and its instruments were turned off earlier this year to slow its descent.
• NASA invested $30 million in the rescue attempt, but the Link spacecraft went into an uncontrollable spin shortly after launch, preventing it from capturing and boosting Swift to a higher orbit.
• Despite the mission's failure, Katalyst will continue operating Link near Swift to demonstrate capabilities for future rescue missions, with NASA emphasizing the value of the attempt despite the outcome.
• The fate of the Hubble Space Telescope, which also faces orbital decay and was next in line for a potential boost, remains uncertain following this unsuccessful rescue effort.