NASA to rescue aging satellite using private spacecraft

Technology Mar 26, 2026

NASA's Swift Observatory, a key spacecraft for studying gamma-ray bursts and black holes, is losing altitude fast because of increased solar activity.
To save it, NASA is teaming up with Katalyst Space Technologies to launch a $30 million mission: They'll send up a robotic spacecraft on a Pegasus rocket to dock with Swift and push it back into a safer orbit.

Swift's orbit has dropped below 400km

Swift's orbit has dropped below 400km, putting its future at risk. The rescue mission, aiming for launch in summer 2026, could give the observatory another 10 years of life.
NASA even paused Swift's science work earlier this year to slow down its descent. Having surveyed the sky for more than 21 years, Swift has helped us learn a great deal about cosmic events.