NASA's Swift Observatory Rescue Attempt Faces Setbacks After Space Tug Malfunctions
NASA's mission to boost the aging Swift telescope using the LINK spacecraft encountered attitude-control failures, leaving the rescue effort uncertain as the observatory's orbit continues to decay.
NASA launched a rescue mission in early July to raise the orbit of the 22-year-old Swift observatory, which studies gamma-ray bursts, after its trajectory began to decay. The agency contracted Katalyst Space Technologies to provide a robotic space tug, named LINK, to push the telescope into a more stable orbit.
According to a NASA update, the LINK spacecraft experienced attitude-control problems, causing it to spin and leading to intermittent communications. > "Preliminary investigation shows that two of LINK’s three reaction wheels currently are not operable, and there is some loss of functionality in its cold-gas thruster system," the agency said.
Despite the malfunction, other subsystems remain operational, allowing engineers to maintain contact and attempt to halt the spin before deciding on further steps. The agency noted that without a successful boost, Swift is expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere in the coming months.
NASA astrophysics director Shawn Domagal-Goldman said the effort is already a programmatic success because it demonstrates the agency's willingness to attempt such a rescue, even as the mission faces technical challenges.