A $30 million NASA rescue mission to save the aging Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory hit a major snag when Katalyst Space Technologies’ newly launched Link satellite experienced thruster problems and went into an uncontrollable spin over the weekend in orbit, three weeks after blasting off from the Marshall Islands.
Launch Success and the Race Against Time
The mission began with an aggressive timeline. Northrop Grumman launched Katalyst Space Technologies’ Link spacecraft from the Marshall Islands in the Pacific on July 3, after poor weather and a technical glitch delayed the liftoff by three days. The Pegasus rocket blasted off from the belly of a modified L-1011 carrier jet at an altitude of 40,000 feet, successfully putting the experimental space tug on course to reach NASA’s Swift Observatory in about a month.
NASA awarded Katalyst a $30 million contract that covered the spacecraft, the air-launched Pegasus XL booster, and the carrier jet. The startup designed, built, tested, and integrated the satellite in just eight months. What the Katalyst team has accomplished in just eight months is extraordinary,
Ghonhee Lee, CEO of Katalyst Space, said on the company’s website, praising the team for building a robotic spacecraft capable of performing one of the most ambitious commercial servicing missions ever attempted.
Why Swift Needs a Salvage Operation
Launched in 2004, the 1.6-ton Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory was originally designed for a two-year mission to scan deep space for high-energy radiation emitted by gamma ray bursts. These short-lived flashes of high-energy light release more energy in just a few seconds than the sun does in its entire lifetime. Brad Cenko, Swift’s principal investigator, noted that the observatory has been extremely successful in this regard, detecting over two thousand of these sources all the way out to the edge of the visible universe.
These observations have helped confirm that heavy elements like the gold and platinum in jewelry are forged when massive stellar cores collapse or neutron stars collide.
However, Swift has spent two decades longer in orbit than initially planned and is now sinking rapidly. Solar storms heat and swell the upper atmosphere, increasing drag on the satellite. Because Swift is not equipped with thrusters to counteract that downward pull, it has been falling about five miles per month. Without intervention, the telescope will plunge back to Earth and burn up by October, when it is predicted to reach a critically low altitude of 186 miles. The clock is ticking.
Orbital Malfunction and Loss of Control
Trouble struck over the weekend, just three weeks into the flight. Katalyst Space Technologies reported that its Link satellite experienced reaction wheel and thruster problems that sent the spacecraft into an uncontrollable spin, disrupting communications with ground teams. The incident threatens a mission that was already considered a high-risk gamble.
Despite the spinning glitch, NASA confirmed that the Link spacecraft is still generating sufficient electrical power. This ongoing power generation gives engineers a critical window to develop a recovery plan. Kieran Wilson, Link’s principal investigator at Katalyst, had anticipated potential communications or power hurdles prior to launch, expressing confidence that a functioning fundamental spacecraft gives engineering teams the flexibility to work through complex dynamical challenges during rendezvous.
Recovery Plans and Next Steps
Engineers are now racing to stabilize the tumbling spacecraft. Once a stable attitude is reestablished, Katalyst plans to update Link’s guidance, navigation, and control systems to accommodate its current configuration. NASA and Katalyst teams will then evaluate revised plans to approach and capture Swift, depending on the safety of the approach and the overall health of the Link satellite. Scientific observations on Swift remain paused to preserve its orbit as long as possible.
Even with the current setback, NASA officials had previously emphasized the programmatic value of attempting the rescue. Shawn Domagal-Goldman noted ahead of the thruster trouble that from a programmatics standpoint, he considers the endeavor a success simply because the agency and its commercial partners are trying it. If ground controllers can regain stable control and proceed with the rendezvous, the mission aims to use three robotic arms to lock onto a transport flange on Swift, employing low-power ion thrusters to raise the telescope’s altitude by 150 miles back to its original 370-mile orbit.
“The mission remains active and we continue to believe that with these changes, Link has a viable path to rendezvous with Swift.”
Katalyst Space Technologies, via Associated Press
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