NASA and Katalyst mission to boost Swift observatory called off
NASA tried to save its aging Swift Observatory by teaming up with Katalyst Space Technologies, hoping its Link spacecraft could boost Swift into a higher orbit and keep it running longer.
Things didn't go as planned: technical issues meant the mission was called off in August 2026.
Even so, last weekend Link got impressively close (just 15km away) and managed to collect some useful data for NASA.
Flight controllers stabilized link using fuel
Link couldn't finish the job because it was running low on fuel: flight controllers managed to reduce the tumble and stabilize the spacecraft, but that used up precious fuel.
Despite the setback, NASA sees this $30 million effort as a big step forward in satellite servicing.
With Swift expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere soon due to increased solar activity, Katalyst says it is developing a next-generation spacecraft.