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Rescue satellite gets close to NASA’s doomed telescope, even if it can’t save it
AP News • • science
Key Points:
- Katalyst Space Technologies' Link spacecraft approached within 15 kilometers of NASA’s Swift Observatory but had to abort the rescue mission due to low fuel, despite snapping photos of the telescope.
- The mission, rushed and assembled in nine months with limited parts, faced challenges including Link entering an uncontrollable spin, which consumed much of its fuel.
- NASA funded the $30 million attempt as an experimental effort to extend the life of valuable spacecraft, with lessons learned to inform future missions like the refuelable Roman Space Telescope.
- Swift, launched in 2004, is expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere and burn up between October and the end of the year, with solar storms accelerating its orbital decay.
- Katalyst is also developing technology to extend the life of the Hubble Space Telescope, anticipating satellite servicing will become more common in the future.
