NASA ABANDONS ATTEMPT TO RESCUE SWIFT OBSERVATORY FROM REENTRY

NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies announced on Wednesday that the Link spacecraft will not attempt to capture and boost the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to a higher orbit. The decision came after Link encountered persistent attitude control problems following its launch in early July. NASA had paid Katalyst $30 million for the rescue mission, which aimed to extend the telescope's operational life after more than two decades of observing gamma ray bursts and other cosmic explosions.

The Swift Observatory began losing altitude faster than expected due to intense solar activity. As of last week, the telescope orbited at an altitude of 216 miles (347 kilometres). NASA turned off Swift's science instruments earlier this year to slow its descent. Link entered an uncontrollable spin weeks after launch, and although flight controllers managed to reduce the tumble, positioning and pointing issues persisted. Katalyst CEO Ghonhee Lee described the mission as ambitious and high-risk, assembled on an aggressive timeline in under a year.

NASA anticipates Swift will re-enter Earth's atmosphere later this year without further intervention. Katalyst will continue to operate Link in proximity to the telescope to demonstrate capabilities for future satellite servicing operations. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a statement that the mission's failure does not diminish the value of attempting the rescue. Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director of NASA's Astrophysics Division, stated the agency would gather data from Link's rendezvous attempt to inform future missions. The Hubble Space Telescope, also experiencing orbital decay from solar activity, had been identified as a potential candidate for a similar rescue operation had this mission succeeded.