tech
NASA launches rescue mission to stop telescope from falling back to Earth
NASA is commencing a $30 million rescue mission as soon as this week to nudge a space observatory to a higher orbit before it falls back to the planet.
TL;DR
- NASA is initiating a $30 million rescue mission to save the Swift Observatory.
- The observatory, launched in 2004, is falling back to Earth due to high solar activity.
- Katalyst Space Technologies will use its autonomous spacecraft, Link, to nudge the observatory into a higher orbit.
- The Link spacecraft features three arms with claws and will be launched via a plane-launched rocket.
- Midair launches offer flexibility for achieving optimal orbits.