NASA launches robotic mission to retrieve the Swift space telescope
A NASA-funded spacecraft equipped with three robotic arms was launched to capture the aging Swift observatory and raise it to a stable orbit before it re-enters Earth’s atmosphere.
NASA sent a robotic spacecraft, named LINK, into low Earth orbit on Friday to intercept the Swift gamma-ray observatory, which has been descending due to increased atmospheric drag caused by heightened solar activity. Swift, launched in 2004, currently orbits at roughly 220 miles (360 km) and is expected to fall below 186 miles (300 km) within months, a point at which rescue would be impossible.
The LINK vehicle, built by Katalyst Space Technologies of Flagstaff, Arizona, is about the size of a refrigerator and carries three robotic arms, cameras, guidance sensors and small thrusters. After launch on a Pegasus XL rocket, the spacecraft will sequentially activate its systems and then maneuver to match Swift’s shifting trajectory. Engineers estimate that within three to four weeks the robot will approach the telescope, photograph it from multiple angles and attempt to attach its arms.
"The Swift telescope was never designed to be caught in space and have its orbit changed. So, the rescue craft is going to approach it very slowly and attach itself to the telescope," said Dr. Simeon Barber, a senior research fellow at the Open University.
If the capture succeeds, LINK will fire its thrusters to gradually raise Swift’s orbit back toward its original altitude of about 373 miles (600 km), where it can continue its scientific mission studying high-energy cosmic explosions. The operation is described as high-risk and the first of its kind, with the outcome expected to inform future servicing missions, potentially including the Hubble Space Telescope.