Swift Telescope Heads Home After Failed Rescue Attempt

The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is slowly losing altitude. A daring rescue mission failed to push it higher. Without that boost, the telescope will eventually fall back to Earth. This is happening just before its 22nd birthday in space.

The observatory weighs about 3,200 pounds. It sits roughly 200 miles above ground today. NASA says it will drop below 185 miles in early to mid-October. After that point, maintaining orbit becomes hard. Most pieces that survive reentry will likely land in water or empty areas.

Researchers hoped a tiny satellite called LINK could rescue the telescope. Katalyst Space Technologies from Arizona built LINK in just nine months. The rescue mission started in early July. Unfortunately, the satellite began spinning wildly in space. Both NASA and Katalyst believe the mission taught them valuable lessons. They want to improve future space service operations.

Engineers worked hard to stabilize LINK. They used thrusters to slow the unwanted spin. Software updates helped too. But the correction drained all remaining fuel. Now LINK cannot perform a safe capture. Early September saw the satellite pass within seven miles of Swift. That close call proved how fragile the system is. The telescope will soon end its observing career.