Key facts
- A mission to rescue NASA's Swift Observatory has been delayed due to a launch problem.
- The Pegasus rocket, carrying a robotic spacecraft built by Katalyst Space Technologies, failed to launch.
- The Swift Observatory faces deorbit by October if not rescued.
- NASA hired Katalyst Space for the $30 million salvage operation.
A critical mission to rescue NASA's Swift Observatory has been postponed due to a last-minute issue with the Pegasus rocket launch vehicle. The rocket, strapped to the belly of a Northrop Grumman plane, was unable to be released from its carrier after taking off from the Marshall Islands.
The Swift Observatory, launched in 2004, has detected thousands of gamma ray bursts and exploding stars. It faces deorbit by October if the rescue mission is unsuccessful. NASA paused the telescope's science operations earlier this year to conserve its orbit.
The space agency hired Katalyst Space Technologies in September to build a three-armed robotic spacecraft for the $30 million salvage operation. No new launch date has been set.