NASA races to save Swift from uncontrolled reentry

NASA’s robotic – NASA plans a $30 million robotic salvage mission to lift the Swift Observatory to a higher, safer orbit after intense solar activity accelerated its descent. The robot, built by Katalyst Space Technologies, is expected to launch from the Marshall Islands as ea

By the time the week turns into Tuesday, NASA wants to be holding the line—against a clock running out around an aging space telescope that was never meant to be retrieved.

Swift, a gamma ray observatory, has been scanning the cosmos since its launch in 2004. But in recent months, it has been sinking faster and faster because of intense solar activity. NASA is racing to boost it to a higher, more stable orbit before it can fall back to Earth.

The rescue effort is scheduled to begin as soon as this week with a planned launch of a robotic spacecraft. NASA is spending $30 million on the salvage operation and has hired startup Katalyst Space Technologies to carry it out. A three-armed spacecraft built by Katalyst will chase after Swift once it takes off from an atoll in the Pacific’s Marshall Islands aboard an airplane-launched Pegasus rocket. Liftoff could occur as early as Tuesday.

The spacecraft is named Lift. It is designed to lift Swift from the current orbit—about 224 miles—to the desired 373 miles. Katalyst says Lift will take about a month to rendezvous with Swift and catch it. and then another couple of months to raise its orbit. The rescue only works if the 1.6-ton gamma ray observatory is above 185 miles; NASA expects Swift to reach the “point of no return” in October. according to the latest estimates.

Lift itself is a compact machine: roughly the size of a small kitchen refrigerator, with a 40-foot solar wingspan. Its three arms can reach just over 3 feet, and each arm has two finger-like pinching grippers resembling the hands of a Lego mini figure.

If everything goes to plan, Swift could be back in business by September, according to Katalyst CEO Ghonhee Lee. But the stakes are sharper than a “success” benchmark. Swift was never designed to be repaired—let alone retrieved by hands, human or otherwise. Company officials stress there is no guarantee the mission will work.

NASA moved fast because the alternative is grim. NASA bought more time for Swift by turning off all scientific instruments to slow its descent. Observations ceased in February.

NASA’s science mission chief, Nicky Fox, said the effort is worth it because letting Swift reenter would mean losing the telescope and “a lot of capability.” She added that NASA does not currently have the budget to build another one to replace it.

The effort also reflects a broader shift in how NASA wants to approach its biggest spacecraft. Katalyst sees Swift as a jumping-off point for a new kind of repair business in space. Lift is intended as the first step. and the company has a next-generation robotic rescuer scheduled to fly next year. designed to tackle satellites as high as 22. 300 miles up.

Lee envisions fleets of robots in orbit one day—working not only to fix and hoist satellites, but also to refuel them and build solar farms, data centers, and other platforms.

NASA’s need isn’t theoretical, either. With Swift facing loss now, another major observatory is already drawing attention: NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, also at risk.

Like Swift, Hubble is losing altitude as the sun erupts with one flare after another. Domagal-Goldman, NASA’s astrophysics director, said Hubble could follow with a similar lift in 2028, using Katalyst’s life-extending boost. He pointed to the historic role of spacewalking astronauts during the shuttle era. when Hubble received repeat servicing—an approach this new robot would try to echo without human hands.

Katalyst’s path to this mission includes a rare precedent. Only China has attempted a mission like the upcoming one, successfully boosting a satellite into a higher graveyard orbit four years ago.

Even so, the challenge remains steep. NASA signed a contract with Katalyst last September with only two requests: it had to be a rush job, but “please don’t make things worse.” Nine months later, the company is ready to launch.

Domagal-Goldman described the mission’s outlook bluntly: “I have to be honest. No one thought it was going to be possible. No one thought we would get as far as we’ve already gotten today.”

Lee said the mission also represents a new kind of capability for NASA’s aging observatories. “This is the first American space robot to go up and do anything like this,” Lee told The Associated Press. He said NASA has “all these big senior observatories … all of them can benefit from a service like this. ” and that what the mission is proving is “this is a new play in the playbook that’s available.”.

NASA has framed Swift as a “first responder” in gamma-ray astronomy—by design. Swift is built to pivot quickly to capture late-breaking astronomical events such as gamma ray bursts and exploding stars. With more discoveries expected by the Webb Space Telescope and the soon-to-launch Roman Space Telescope. Swift—if saved—would be poised to be busier than ever.

And for people on Earth, the argument isn’t only about science budgets and orbital mechanics. Fox called Hubble a “national treasure,” saying, “People love Hubble.”

For now, the mission’s focus is narrower: keep Swift from crossing the line where recovery is no longer possible. Lift is headed toward a tethered rescue, with October in the back of everyone’s mind—and the launch window that could open as early as Tuesday.

NASA Swift Observatory Katalyst Space Technologies robotic salvage Pegasus rocket Marshall Islands Lift spacecraft orbital boost gamma ray observatory solar activity Hubble life extension space rescue mission