Private mission to rescue NASA’s aging telescope runs into its own trouble

A private rescue mission for NASA's aging Swift Observatory has hit a significant snag. The satellite tasked with boosting the telescope to a higher orbit is experiencing thruster failures and has entered an uncontrollable spin, which is now hindering communication with ground teams.

Katalyst Space Technologies launched the robotic spacecraft just three weeks ago. The mission is critical because Swift is losing altitude faster than expected due to increased solar activity. Without this intervention, the telescope will re-enter the atmosphere and burn up later this year. NASA contracted this $30 million rescue effort as a rapid, cost-effective solution to keep the observatory operational.

Despite the current communication issues, the team at Katalyst is working around the clock to regain control of the satellite. Engineers report that the primary systems on the rescue craft remain functional. Both the company and NASA maintain that a path to reach the telescope exists once the spin is resolved. Swift has been a key asset for scanning the universe for gamma-ray bursts and stellar explosions since its launch in 2004. Scientific work is paused while the rescue team manages the technical crisis.