A spacecraft has begun an unusual chase to save NASA's Swift telescope
Katalyst Space Technologies has launched a mission to rendezvous with the aging observatory and prevent it from falling out of orbit.
A small spacecraft is chasing NASA's Swift observatory, beginning an attempt to extend the life of a telescope that was never designed for an orbital repair visit.
Katalyst Space Technologies' Link spacecraft launched aboard an air-launched Pegasus XL rocket. It will spend several weeks closing the distance to Swift before trying the more delicate work of approaching and assisting the aging observatory.
A productive telescope is losing altitude
Swift has observed gamma-ray bursts and other rapidly changing events since 2004. The spacecraft remains scientifically useful, but its orbit has gradually fallen as traces of the upper atmosphere create drag. Raising that orbit could keep the telescope working instead of allowing a healthy instrument to be lost.
A service call without a docking port
Modern servicing missions can be planned around compatible fixtures and hardware. Swift was not built with any of that. Link must navigate around a non-cooperative target and make contact without damaging either spacecraft. That combination makes the mission a demanding test, not a routine refuelling stop.
There is no guarantee it will work. A successful rescue, however, would strengthen the case for treating satellites as machines that can sometimes be maintained rather than abandoned when fuel runs low or an orbit begins to decay.
Source: Ars Technica, July 6, 2026.