tech
NASA prepares to launch daring rescue to save aging telescope from falling to Earth
NASA is racing to save an aging telescope from falling back to Earth with a daring rescue mission.
TL;DR
- NASA is undertaking a $30 million mission to rescue the Swift Observatory from falling back to Earth.
- Startup Katalyst Space Technologies will use a three-armed robotic spacecraft named Lift to boost Swift to a higher orbit.
- Swift has been losing altitude due to intense solar activity and needs to reach a higher, stable orbit to survive.
- The mission is scheduled to launch soon, with liftoff possibly as early as Tuesday.
- Swift, launched in 2004, must remain above 185 miles altitude to avoid a point of no return expected in October.
- The Hubble Space Telescope, also at risk, could potentially be saved by Katalyst's next-generation robot in a couple of years.
- This mission marks the first American robotic rescue of this kind, aiming to prove a new capability for servicing large observatories.
- Katalyst envisions a future with hundreds of robots in orbit for repair, refueling, and construction.
- NASA turned off Swift's instruments in February to slow its descent and has contracted Katalyst for a rush job.
- Saving Swift is crucial as replacing it would be extremely costly and would result in a significant loss of scientific capability.