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Rescue mission launches to save NASA telescope that's falling back to Earth
WRAL • • science
Key Points:
- A three-armed spacecraft named Link, developed by Katalyst Space Technologies, was launched to rescue NASA’s Swift Observatory, which is at risk of crashing back to Earth due to rapid orbital decay from recent solar storms.
- The Pegasus rocket launched Link from the Marshall Islands, aiming to reach and capture Swift in about a month to boost its orbit by 150 miles, allowing the telescope to continue its cosmic observations.
- NASA is funding the $30 million mission to extend Swift’s operational life, with hopes of resuming observations by September; currently, the telescope’s activities are paused to conserve its orbit.
- The mission was expedited due to the urgency of Swift’s declining altitude, predicted to cause re-entry and destruction by October if uncorrected, and faced several launch delays due to weather and technical issues.
- NASA may consider similar salvage missions for other satellites like the Hubble Space Telescope, which is also losing altitude due to increased atmospheric drag from solar activity.
