NASA has called off its $30 million rescue mission to save the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory after the private Katalyst Space Technologies spacecraft suffered disabling control failures in orbit. The aging space telescope, which lost altitude due to intense solar activity, now faces an uncontrolled, fiery reentry later this year.
The commercial salvage effort for the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory came to an official halt when mission managers acknowledged that the rescue probe could no longer execute a capture. Launched on July 3, Katalyst Space Technologies’ LINK spacecraft was designed to rendezvous with the telescope and raise its decaying orbit. Instead, the mission ran into severe attitude control problems that drained its propulsion budget and disabled its primary orientation systems, spelling the end for one of NASA’s most versatile high-energy observatories.
Control Failures and a Rapidly Draining Propellant Budget
The troubles began over a weekend just weeks after launch, when LINK spun out of control in low Earth orbit, triggering intermittent communication blackouts with ground controllers. A preliminary investigation revealed that two of the spacecraft’s three gyroscopic reaction wheels failed outright, while its cold gas thruster system sustained a partial loss of function.
To arrest the dangerous tumble, flight controllers had to rely on LINK’s xenon-fueled electric ion thrusters—the exact propulsion system intended to push the combined stack back to a safe altitude. With pointing and positioning problems persisting despite slowed rotation, Katalyst and NASA abandoned any attempt to capture and grapple Swift.
“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.”
Jared Isaacman, NASA Administrator
A Nine-Month Sprint Against Solar Activity
The swift boost initiative was born out of urgency. Launched originally in November 2004 as the Swift Gamma-ray Burst Explorer, the telescope spent two decades detecting gamma-ray bursts, supernovae, and black-hole ejections. Because Swift was built without its own onboard propulsion system, it could not fight the atmospheric drag amplified by heightened solar activity around the recent solar maximum.
To save the observatory, NASA awarded Arizona startup Katalyst Space Technologies a $30 million contract in September 2025.
“We took on this high-risk, high-reward challenge and are proud of the milestones we reached along the way. We have already learned a tremendous amount.”
Ghonhee Lee, Katalyst CEO
Proximity Operations and the Future of Orbiting Assets
Although the primary rescue has been canceled, the mission is not entirely finished. Katalyst will continue to operate LINK in proximity to Swift, conducting rendezvous and maneuvering demonstrations to gather valuable data for future satellite servicing missions. Meanwhile, NASA estimates that without an orbital boost, Swift will dip catastrophically low into Earth’s atmosphere before the end of the year.
The failed rescue also carries implications for other aging assets. NASA’s 36-year-old Hubble Space Telescope, which is also losing altitude due to recent solar outbursts, had been next in line for a rescue attempt if the Swift operation had succeeded.
