Marcia Dunn

NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies abandoned an effort to rescue the Swift Observatory after control problems left the Link spacecraft unable to capture and raise it to a higher orbit. Swift, which has monitored cosmic events for more than 20 years, is expected to reenter the atmosphere later this year after accelerated orbital decay caused by intense solar activity. Katalyst will continue operating Link near the telescope to test technologies for future rescue missions. The failure also raises uncertainty about a possible future orbital boost for the Hubble Space Telescope.

A launch attempt to save NASA’s Swift Observatory was halted when a Pegasus rocket failed to release from a Northrop Grumman aircraft, leaving the telescope at risk of re-entering Earth’s atmosphere by October. The rescue spacecraft, built by Katalyst Space Technologies, awaits a new launch date. The report also highlights the achievements and technical issues of NASA’s recent Artemis II mission, which set distance records and captured unprecedented lunar imagery despite minor onboard malfunctions.