What Went Wrong
Katalyst's Link spacecraft launched in early July on a bid to capture Swift and boost it to a higher orbit. Trouble arrived within weeks: Link went into an uncontrollable spin.
Flight controllers managed to slow the tumble, but problems kept plaguing the spacecraft's pointing and positioning in orbit. On Wednesday, more than a month after liftoff, Katalyst confirmed Link will not attempt the capture. Without a boost, Swift will plunge through the atmosphere later this year.
A $30 Million Gamble Against the Sun
NASA paid Katalyst $30 million to raise Swift to a safer, longer-lasting orbit after intense solar activity caused the telescope to lose altitude faster than expected. The plan was ambitious: lift Swift from its current 214-mile orbit back to its original altitude of 373 miles, buying many more years of cosmic observations.
The timeline made it harder. Katalyst CEO Ghonhee Lee said the mission was thrown together in under a year.
"We took on this high-risk, high-reward challenge and are proud of the milestones we reached along the way," Lee said in a statement. "We have already learned a tremendous amount."
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman defended the attempt. "This is not the outcome we were working toward, but it does not change why this mission was worth attempting," he said.
Twenty Years of Watching the Universe Explode
Swift's resume explains why NASA tried to save it. Launched in 2004, the observatory spent more than two decades tracking some of the biggest explosions in the universe, from gamma ray bursts to exploding stars.
The telescope's science instruments were turned off earlier this year to slow its descent. It was orbiting 214 miles high as of Wednesday, and dropping.
The Consolation Mission
Link's story is not quite over. Katalyst will continue to operate the spacecraft in proximity with Swift to demonstrate capabilities for future rescue operations, turning the failed capture into a practice run for the next attempt.
The Hubble Question
The bigger shadow hangs over the most famous telescope in history. NASA's 36-year-old Hubble Space Telescope is also dropping in orbit because of the sun's recent outbursts, and it had been next in line for a rescue attempt had the Swift mission succeeded.
Whether Hubble is now out of luck was not immediately known.
What Comes Next
Swift's fiery end is expected sometime after October, its exact reentry date at the mercy of the same solar activity that doomed it. The harder decision belongs to NASA: whether to trust another rescue attempt with Hubble's fate after watching this one fail, or let the sun win twice.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why was the Swift rescue mission canceled?
- Katalyst's Link spacecraft suffered control problems, including an uncontrollable spin weeks after its July liftoff, and could not safely attempt to capture the telescope.
- When will the Swift telescope fall to Earth?
- Its fiery reentry is not expected before October.
- How much did NASA pay for the rescue attempt?
- $30 million to Katalyst Space Technologies to boost Swift from 214 miles back to its original 373-mile orbit.
- What did the Swift Observatory do?
- Launched in 2004, it spent more than 20 years tracking the universe's biggest explosions, including gamma ray bursts and exploding stars.
- What does this mean for Hubble?
- Hubble, also losing altitude due to solar activity, was next in line for a rescue if this mission succeeded. Its fate is now unclear.
