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

What the report says

The Associated Press reports that a private spacecraft sent to help NASA’s aging Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has developed a serious problem of its own. Katalyst Space Technologies said Tuesday that its Link satellite is having thruster trouble and is now spinning in a way that is interfering with communications. The issue emerged over the weekend, about three weeks after the robotic spacecraft reached orbit.

According to AP, Katalyst is trying to regain control of Link so it can still rendezvous with Swift, capture it and raise the observatory into a safer orbit. NASA is paying $30 million for the rescue mission, which AP reported was organized in less than a year. Katalyst said other major systems on Link appear to be functioning, and both the company and NASA are continuing the effort.

Swift, launched in 2004, studies high-energy cosmic events such as gamma ray bursts and exploding stars. AP reports the telescope is dropping faster than expected because of recent solar activity and could re-enter Earth’s atmosphere this fall if it is not boosted. Its science observations are currently paused while the rescue attempt remains unresolved.

The development matters because the mission is an unusual commercial attempt to extend the life of an important NASA observatory already in orbit. More broadly, it highlights both the promise and risk of using private spacecraft for rapid-response satellite servicing, especially when timing, navigation and spacecraft control are critical.