NASA Cancels Swift Observatory Rescue Mission

NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies canceled the Swift Boost Mission to rescue the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, dooming the telescope to a fiery re-entry later this year. The privately built Link spacecraft encountered ongoing attitude control and pointing problems and went into an uncontrollable spin after liftoff, preventing it from capturing Swift or boosting it to a higher orbit. NASA had paid about $30 million to fund the rescue, which was intended to extend Swift’s life after intense solar activity accelerated its descent. As a consolation, Katalyst will continue to operate Link in proximity to Swift to test and demonstrate proximity operations for future satellite-relocation missions, while NASA and its partners learn valuable lessons from the attempt. The decision may influence future rescue plans for other aging observatories, including NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, and NASA says it will pursue new options to rapidly respond to cosmic events with current missions.