NASA intends to use the Swift mission parameters as an operational blueprint for salvaging the Hubble Space Telescope if LINK successfully alters Swift’s trajectory.
The Swift mission team is transitioning operations now to provide the widest possible margin for the servicing mission.
The Swift mission team modified operations to slow the spacecraft's descent by keeping the observatory in a drag-minimizing attitude and limiting slews.
NASA is evaluating technical solutions to extend the Swift mission while reducing risks associated with orbital decay.
Katalyst Space is scheduled to launch a reboost mission for NASA's Swift mission no earlier than June 1.
Current projections estimate that NASA's Swift mission's orbit will decay below 300 km between October 2026 and January 2027.
The goal of Katalyst's mission is to demonstrate a key capability for future space exploration and extend the scientific lifespan of the Swift mission.
The Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the Swift mission in collaboration with Penn State University, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Northrop Grumman Space Systems.
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center manages the Swift mission in collaboration with Penn State and Northrop Grumman Space Systems.
The UK Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency are among the partners involved in the Swift mission.