A $30-million commercial spacecraft designed to rescue the aging Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory disintegrated after technical failures derailed its mission. Launched in July, Katalyst Space Technologies’ robotic vehicle ran out of fuel following reaction wheel failures, leaving the 22-year-old NASA telescope to face an unassisted atmospheric reentry this autumn.
How a Bold Commercial Salvage Attempt Unraveled in Orbit
The mission encountered critical hardware faults shortly after reaching space. An electrical power system fault disabled two of the three reaction wheels required to orient the spacecraft, and a bad valve subsequently sent the vehicle into a fast spin that disrupted communications. Although flight controllers regained control using thrusters and the remaining reaction wheel, the emergency maneuvers consumed the propellant required to capture the Swift observatory and raise its orbit. NASA and Katalyst abandoned the capture attempt on August 19, opting instead to use the remaining weeks in orbit to test Link’s robot arms and practice maneuvering.
Swift Resumes Scanning the Cosmos Before Its Own Descent
While the rescue effort fell short, the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory remains in orbit and has returned to gathering scientific data. Launched in November 2004, the $364 million observatory was designed to pivot quickly toward gamma-ray bursts, exploding stars, and other fast-breaking cosmic events, serving as a lookout or first responder for other telescopes.
Increased solar activity earlier this year expanded Earth’s upper atmosphere and accelerated drag on the satellite, prompting NASA to suspend observations and reposition the observatory to minimize drag. Flight controllers resumed data collection in August. By September 18, teams had recalibrated its Burst Alert Telescope—which can cover 16 percent of the sky at once—and restored automated pointing features on September 21. While these steps brought the telescope back to full scientific capability, resuming observations increased atmospheric drag and hastened its downward spiral.
Space agency leadership emphasized that the failed salvage operation still provided valuable technical data for future satellite maintenance initiatives. While we’ll be sad to see Swift’s mission come to a close, we knew this boost effort would be worthwhile either way – advancing US spacecraft servicing technology, challenging us to meet unprecedented mission timelines, and testing how we operate satellites to extend their time in low Earth orbit, said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director of NASA’s astrophysics division, in a statement.
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“This is not the outcome we were working toward, but it does not change why this mission was worth attempting. The team moved with extraordinary speed to give Swift a chance to carry out more science while advancing capabilities America will need for satellite servicing in the future.”
Katalyst leadership echoed those sentiments as their three-armed spacecraft concluded its 85-day mission. We knew from the beginning that this was an ambitious mission on an aggressive timeline, said Katalyst CEO Ghonhee Lee in a statement, calling the endeavor a foundation we can build on. Link disintegrated upon reentering the atmosphere overnight on Friday, September 25. NASA estimates that Swift will descend below the 185-mile threshold in early to mid-October, where science operations will likely cease before the observatory follows its own atmospheric reentry in November.
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