NASA's Swift Observatory to Re-Enter Atmosphere After Unsuccessful Rescue Attempt

The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, launched in November 2004, is projected to fall below a 185-mile (300-km) orbit in early to mid-October, after which it will no longer be able to conduct scientific observations and is expected to burn up during re-entry. The telescope, which has studied gamma-ray bursts and other transient cosmic events, is currently about 200 miles (325 km) above Earth and has been losing altitude due to atmospheric drag, a condition worsened by heightened solar activity in 2024.

NASA and Arizona-based Katalyst Space Technologies attempted to extend Swift’s mission by launching a rapidly built satellite, LINK, in early July. LINK was intended to rendezvous with Swift and boost it to a higher orbit, but the satellite spun out of control and later depleted its propellant while trying to re-orient, leaving it unable to complete the capture and boost.

"From the beginning, this was a high-risk, high-reward mission," said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director of NASA’s Astrophysics Division. "Without intervention, Swift was going to re-enter the atmosphere by year’s end."

"And while we’ll be sad to see Swift’s mission come to a close, we knew this boost effort would be valuable to the agency on multiple levels — advancing U.S. spacecraft servicing technology, challenging us to meet unprecedented mission timelines, and testing how we operate satellites to extend their time in low Earth orbit," Domagal-Goldman added.

Katalyst continued to use LINK as a demonstration platform, bringing it within 7.5 to 9 miles (12 to 15 km) of Swift in early September and deploying its robotic arms and electric thrusters. The satellite operated for 85 days before re-entering Earth’s atmosphere on September 25.

"LINK was built to take on a problem that did not have an easy solution," said Ghonhee Lee, CEO of Katalyst Space. "In less than a year we went from mission concept to launching and operating the first commercial space robot. This is a foundation we can build on."

Space-tracking firm LeoLabs noted that any surviving debris would most likely fall into uninhabited areas or the ocean, with a very low risk of property damage or injury. NASA did not comment on the re-entry risk.

Swift’s principal investigator, S. Bradley Cenko, said the observatory has been gradually powering down its instruments to conserve energy as its orbit decayed, and there is no direct replacement scheduled to take over its role.