LINK SPACECRAFT RE-ENTERS EARTH AFTER FAILED NASA RESCUE MISSION

Katalyst Space Technologies said its spacecraft Link fell back to Earth on Friday, ending a mission to rescue Nasa's Swift Observatory. Link launched on 3 July from Kwajalein Atoll in the South Pacific under a $30 million Nasa contract awarded to the company in September 2024. Billed as America's first commercial space robot, the craft was designed to capture Swift and boost it into a higher orbit. Katalyst said Link re-entered the atmosphere after 85 days in orbit; the rescue had already been called off in August when the spacecraft ran short of fuel.

The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, run by Nasa and Penn State University, has studied gamma-ray bursts since November 2004. Nasa said increased solar activity had pushed Swift into a faster decline, prompting it to suspend observations this year and reposition the telescope to cut drag. Link suffered in-flight failures after launch, including the loss of two reaction wheels and a faulty valve that sent it spinning and disrupted communications. Engineers regained control, but the craft lacked fuel to complete the capture. It still came within seven to nine miles of Swift to take photographs, and Katalyst tested the craft's robotic arms during its final weeks.

Nasa said Swift is expected to re-enter the atmosphere in November. Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director of Nasa's astrophysics division, called the mission "high-risk, high-reward" and said it would still advance US spacecraft-servicing technology. Nasa administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency should take smart risks when the potential return is worth it, and the outcome did not change why the mission was worth attempting. Katalyst chief executive Ghonhee Lee called the project ambitious and said it was a foundation for future satellite-recovery work.