01/07/2026 16:45 - Tecnologia
In an operation that marks a significant milestone in space exploration, NASA and private company Katalyst Space Technologies are preparing a $30 million rescue mission to save the Swift space telescope before it re-enters Earth's atmosphere and is lost forever.
The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, valued at approximately $500 million and launched in 2004, has progressively lost altitude due to atmospheric drag. Over two decades of operation, it has descended from about 600 km to near 400 km, and currently orbits at approximately 360 km in altitude, according to prior knowledge data.
The mission will use a servicing robotic satellite called LINK, developed by Katalyst Space, which will be put into orbit aboard a Pegasus XL rocket from Northrop Grumman. The launch is scheduled from the Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Once in space, the spacecraft will autonomously approach the telescope, capture it, and gradually raise its orbit over several months to reach approximately 600 km in altitude. The complete process will take:
The critical point is estimated for October 2026, when the telescope could re-enter the atmosphere if no intervention is made.
The Swift telescope is considered NASA's "multifunctional tool" for studying the cosmos. During the last two decades, it has played a fundamental role in the study of transient phenomena, especially gamma-ray bursts.
Observatory Data:
If successful, this would be the first rescue maneuver of this type performed by a US space robot. The project represents a key step for the development of maintenance services and life extension of satellites in space, with future applications for both civil and national security.
The company has described the operation as a capability demonstration to perform rapid responses in orbit, from problem identification to the execution of a docking mission in less than a year.
Swift does not have its own propulsion system, which makes it impossible for it to perform corrective maneuvers on its own. Without external intervention, the observatory would enter Earth's atmosphere and cease to be operational.
Satellite maintenance and life extension operations represent a new frontier in the space industry. In 2022, NASA's DART mission successfully modified the orbit of asteroid Dimorphos, demonstrating that it is possible to alter trajectories in space. Meanwhile, the European Space Agency (ESA) has scheduled the Hera mission, launched in 2024, which will arrive in autumn 2026 to study the results. These technologies could be applied in the future to protect Earth from potentially dangerous asteroids.
Source: Deutsche Welle / NASA
Alfredo S. Quiroga
