NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies have canceled plans to rescue the aging Swift gamma-ray observatory after the Link satellite failed to correct ongoing attitude control problems. The mission aimed to dock with Swift, which launched in 2004, and boost its orbit to delay reentry. Link, roughly the size of a refrigerator with solar arrays and xenon thrusters, launched July 3 but will now remain inactive.
Katalyst confirmed the spacecraft remains operational but lacks the capacity to complete the rescue. The company plans to use Link’s remaining systems to demonstrate its close-in navigation technology, though no further attempts to save Swift will be made. Without intervention, Swift is expected to reenter Earth’s atmosphere later this year.
The failed rescue underscores the challenges of extending the lifespan of aging space telescopes. Swift’s instruments remain functional, but its orbit continues to decay, leaving NASA with no viable path to prolong its mission.
