Scientists have devised a strategy to prevent a critical satellite from plunging towards an early destruction.
NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, dedicated to studying gamma-ray bursts, is descending towards Earth more rapidly than expected. Initially projected to remain operational until 2030, the satellite is now on track to disintegrate in the earth’s atmosphere by the year’s end.
To address this imminent threat, NASA has partnered with the commercial firm Katalyst Space to create a robotic spacecraft capable of repositioning Swift into a higher orbit, potentially prolonging its functionality by another ten to twenty years.
Brad Cenko, the principal investigator for Swift, indicated that NASA typically undergoes a meticulous multi-decade process to develop missions of this scale. However, due to the urgency surrounding Swift’s situation, this plan was expedited and assembled within around a year and a half.
“This initiative represents a departure from NASA’s usual operations,” Cenko informed host Nil Köksal from As It Happens. “Consequently, there is a real risk that it may not succeed.”
An aircraft, a rocket, and three robotic appendages
In early 2025, NASA discovered that Swift was gravitating towards Earth’s orbit at an accelerated pace, primarily due to an unforeseen spike in solar activity. This surge in activity has also led to enhanced visibility of the Northern Lights.
“While visually stunning, each occurrence of heightened solar activity indicates a faster decline of our satellite,” remarked Cenko.
When Swift was initially launched in 2004, it orbited at an altitude of 600 kilometers above sea level. Presently, it has descended to around 360 kilometers.
Hence, NASA enlisted the services of Katalyst, based in Arkansas, to develop a solution capable of reaching Swift in time to prevent its demise.
The outcome is LINK, a robotic spacecraft engineered to interact with Swift, presenting a unique challenge as Swift was never intended for in-space maintenance.
LINK is housed within a rocket named Pegasus XL, which is attached to the belly of a modified L-1011 aircraft named Stargazer.
Later this month, Stargazer will depart from Kwajalein Atoll, situated within the Republic of the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. If all proceeds according to plan, the aircraft will release the rocket, propelling it into the atmosphere to intercept the satellite.
Subsequently, LINK will utilize its three robotic arms resembling lobster claws to grasp Swift and provide the necessary push, as explained by Cenko.
The entire operation is anticipated to span approximately two months.
The future of in-space maintenance
If the Swift boost mission achieves success, it will signify a crucial advancement in the expanding realm of in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing, according to Mason Peck, a mechanical and aerospace engineering professor at Cornell University in New York.
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