NASA is launching a mission to prevent the ageing Swift space telescope from falling back to Earth by capturing it in orbit and raising it to a safer altitude. The effort is led under a contract awarded last September to US startup Katalyst Space Technologies. The company will use a three-armed robotic spacecraft named Lift, designed to rendezvous with Swift after launch. Lift is scheduled to launch aboard an air-launched Pegasus rocket from the Marshall Islands. After reaching space, it will spend about a month chasing down Swift, which has been operating since 2004 and continues to collect observations of the universe. Once Lift reaches the telescope, it is intended to capture Swift Observatory, lift it into a higher orbit, and extend its scientific lifetime. The mission reflects NASA’s use of commercial partners and robotic servicing approaches to manage space assets approaching the end of their operational orbital lifetimes, aiming to reduce the risk associated with eventual orbital decay.
NASA launches mission to capture and boost ageing Swift space telescope
NASA is launching a mission to prevent the ageing Swift space telescope from falling back to Earth by capturing it in orbit and raising it to a safer altitude. The effort is led under a contract award...
- NASA is mounting a mission to keep the Swift space telescope from re-entering Earth’s atmosphere.
- The mission uses a robotic spacecraft called Lift built by Katalyst Space Technologies.
- Lift launches on a Pegasus rocket from the Marshall Islands before spending about a month rendezvousing with Swift.
- After capture, the mission plans to raise Swift into a higher orbit to extend its operational life.
- Swift has been observing since 2004.
The agency has partnered with startup Katalyst Space Technologies to launch a robotic spacecraft that will capture the Swift Observatory, lift it into a higher orbit and extend its scientific life.
3 hours agoThe mission will be carried out by US startup Katalyst Space Technologies, which won the NASA contract last September. Its three-armed robotic spacecraft, named Lift, will launch aboard an air-launched Pegasus rocket from the Marshall Islands before spending about a month chasing down Swift in orbit. Swift has been observing the universe since 2004.
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