The Swift Boost Mission is intended to boost Swift’s orbit later in the summer.
The Pegasus-XL launch of the Swift Boost Mission has been delayed by 3 days to June 30 between 07:30 and 13:28 UTC.
LINK will attempt to raise the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory's orbit before the observatory re-enters Earth's atmosphere.
Northrop Grumman built the Swift observatory at its Gilbert, Arizona site.
The Pegasus mission to Swift will launch from Kwajalein Atoll.
Katalyst Space’s LINK spacecraft will attempt to rendezvous with Swift and boost it to a higher orbit in June.
Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus rocket is slated for a rapid-response mission to keep NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory operational.
The LINK mission is intended to demonstrate autonomous rendezvous and docking capabilities and extend the operational life of NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory.
Katalyst Space is preparing a support mission for NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory.
Katalyst Space developed the LINK robotic vehicle for NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory mission.
Katalyst Space developed the LINK robotic vehicle for NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory servicing mission.
LINK will rendezvous with the Swift telescope to attempt an orbital boost.
The Pegasus launch of Swift Boost Mission is scheduled for NET June 27 between 09:00 and 14:28 UTC.
NASA models projected a 50 percent chance of Swift’s uncontrolled reentry by mid-2026 and a 90 percent chance by the end of 2026.
Katalyst Space Technologies’ LINK mission will attempt to autonomously track, capture, and push the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory back into a safe orbit.
The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory lacks an onboard propulsion system to maintain its altitude.
In February, the Swift team disabled two of the observatory’s three telescopes to reduce aerodynamic drag.
Katalyst selected Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL rocket for the mission because it can be air-launched from the Marshall Islands to reach Swift’s orbital plane efficiently.
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 Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is a $500 million space telescope launched in 2004.