Key facts
- A mission to rescue NASA's Swift Observatory is delayed.
- The delay is due to a launch vehicle issue with the Pegasus rocket.
- The rescue spacecraft is being built by Katalyst Space Technologies.
- The mission aims to capture and boost the telescope's orbit.
- The Swift Observatory is expected to deorbit by October.
- The Swift Observatory was launched in 2004.
- The observatory studies cosmic events like gamma-ray bursts and supernovae.
The planned rescue mission for NASA's Swift Observatory has been delayed because of a last-minute problem with the Pegasus rocket, the designated launch vehicle. This robotic spacecraft, constructed by Katalyst Space Technologies, is intended to intercept and boost the Swift Observatory's orbit before it naturally deorbits, a process expected to occur by October.