NASA is attempting to save one of its own space telescopes from falling out of orbit. The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, launched in 2004, has been tracking explosions in the universe for over two decades. However, due to increased solar activity, the spacecraft is now experiencing atmospheric drag and lacks the propulsion to maintain its orbit.
Rescue Mission
NASA is spending $30 million to capture the aging satellite and push it into a safer orbit. The rescue mission will be carried out by Northrop Grumman’s Katalyst Space Technologies’ Link spacecraft, which was launched from the Marshall Islands in the Pacific. The three-armed robotic spacecraft will slowly catch up with Swift over the next month and then spend about two months raising the telescope into a higher orbit.
The mission is considered high-risk, high-reward, and has the potential to extend the life of highly expensive and highly capable satellites in the future. Even if Swift cannot be saved, the mission could serve as a proving ground for whether future satellites can be repaired and serviced in orbit instead of becoming space junk.
Original reporting: WESH Orlando — read the source article.
