A strategy has been devised to prevent a valuable satellite from descending into an early destruction.
The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory by NASA, which investigates gamma-ray bursts, is descending towards Earth faster than expected. Originally planned to be operational until 2030, it is now projected to disintegrate in the Earth’s atmosphere by the year’s end.
Consequently, NASA has collaborated with Katalyst Space, a private company, to create a robotic spacecraft to maneuver Swift back into a higher orbit, potentially prolonging its operation by ten to twenty years.
Brad Cenko, Swift’s lead investigator, mentioned that typically, NASA would meticulously plan a mission of this magnitude over several decades. However, due to the urgency with Swift, this plan was formulated within approximately eighteen months.
“This involves a departure from NASA’s usual practices,” Cenko informed As It Happens host Nil Köksal. “Thus, there is a genuine risk that it may not succeed.”
An aircraft, a rocket, and three mechanical arms
In early 2025, NASA realized that Swift was gravitating towards Earth’s orbit at an accelerated pace, attributed to an unexpected surge in solar activity.
This heightened solar activity has also led to an increase in the visibility of the Northern Lights.
“While it’s a spectacular sight, for me, it signifies that our satellite is descending at an accelerated rate,” Cenko remarked.
Initially stationed 600 kilometers above sea level upon its launch in 2004, Swift’s current altitude stands at around 360 kilometers.
Hence, NASA enlisted Katalyst, based in Arkansas, to develop a solution capable of reaching Swift in time to avert its demise.
The outcome is LINK, a robotic spacecraft engineered for interaction with Swift, posing a unique challenge as Swift was not originally designed for in-space maintenance.
LINK is housed within a rocket named Pegasus XL, which is mounted beneath a modified L-1011 aircraft known as Stargazer.
Later this month, Stargazer will depart from Kwajalein Atoll, located in the Republic of the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. If all goes as planned, 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 latch onto Swift and provide the necessary boost, according to Cenko.
The entire operation is anticipated to span approximately two months.
The future of in-space maintenance
If the Swift enhancement mission proves successful, it will mark a significant advancement in the realm of in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing, as stated by Mason Peck, a mechanical and aerospace engineering professor at Cornell University in New York.
“Currently, the focus is on orbit elevation, but in the future, this could encompass tasks like refueling, component