NASA has launched an emergency mission to save the Swift Observatory from burning up in Earth's atmosphere. The observatory, launched in 2004, has been pushed into a lower orbit due to recent solar storms.
To save the $500 million spacecraft, NASA enlisted Katalyst Space Technologies, which launched its Link spacecraft on Friday. The mission aims to boost the Swift Observatory's orbit by about 150 miles.
The Link spacecraft will use a three-armed system to lift the observatory into a higher orbit. The mission was put together in just nine months at a cost of $30 million. The Swift Observatory primarily studies gamma-ray bursts, providing crucial insights into the early universe.
