Key facts
- A robotic spacecraft named LINK has launched to rescue NASA's Swift Observatory.
- The Swift Observatory is losing altitude and faces re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.
- Katalyst Space Technologies built the LINK spacecraft under a $30 million NASA contract.
- The mission aims to grapple the observatory and boost its orbit by approximately 240 kilometers.
- The rescue operation is considered a demonstration of new orbital grappling technology with potential military applications.
A robotic spacecraft named LINK, developed by Katalyst Space Technologies, has been launched from the Marshall Islands on a mission to rescue NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. The observatory, launched in 2004, is losing altitude due to atmospheric drag and risks burning up in Earth's atmosphere as soon as later this year. The $500 million observatory has no onboard propulsion and would otherwise drift out of orbit.
Katalyst was awarded a $30 million NASA contract to design, build, and test the LINK vehicle within an accelerated nine-month schedule. The half-ton spacecraft is equipped with three robotic arms designed to grapple the Swift Observatory and tow it to a higher, sustainable orbit, potentially extending its mission by years. The mission is considered a demonstration of new orbital grappling technology, with implications for space superiority and potential dual-use military applications, amid U.S.-China space rivalry.
The launch, carried by a Northrop Grumman Pegasus rocket released from a jetliner, experienced delays due to weather and a technical issue. LINK is expected to reach the vicinity of SWIFT by late July and spend an additional week maneuvering to capture it. Once secured, it will take approximately 60 days to tow the observatory to an altitude of about 600 km, doubling its current height. Katalyst CEO Ghonhee Lee highlighted the rapid development as a key achievement, envisioning future applications for satellite maintenance and in-space construction services.