🛰️ First: a space tow truck on its way to save the Swift telescope
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Launched this Friday, July 3 from the Marshall Islands, the Link spacecraft of the Swift Boost mission is to rendezvous with the Swift observatory, which has been losing altitude for several months. Without this intervention, this gamma-ray burst hunter will be doomed to crash to Earth by the end of the year.
Illustration of the LINK spacecraft (left) grabbing NASA's Swift observatory to change its orbit.
Credit: Katalyst Space
The launch took place aboard a modified Lockheed Martin L-1011 aircraft, which released a Pegasus XL rocket in flight, the latter propelling Link into orbit. This liftoff was preceded by two delays, first due to weather, then a software issue. Engineers are now checking that the solar panels have deployed properly and that the electrical systems are working.
Link was developed by the private company Katalyst Space for a cost of $30 million. Its goal: to dock with Swift, which has been orbiting since 2004, and raise it to a stable altitude using its robotic arms and thrusters. Swift is still fully operational for science, but atmospheric drag is inexorably bringing it down.
This mission was decided last September, after increased solar activity swelled Earth's atmosphere, hastening Swift's descent. Katalyst Space had to design, build, and test Link in less than a year, a major challenge. According to Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director of NASA's astrophysics division, the benefits justify this mission, as replacing Swift would cost much more.
The ground team has modified Swift's operations to give Link maximum time. For example, scientific imaging has been minimized, and the telescope is oriented to offer the least resistance to solar wind. Power consumption has also been reduced so that the solar panels adopt a more aerodynamic position. These adjustments should allow Swift to remain above the minimum rescue altitude (298 km, about 185 miles) until autumn.
Katalyst engineers attach Link to a base plate in the space environment simulator at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center on April 28, 2026. The team tested the ion thrusters and a robotic arm under space temperature conditions.
Credit: NASA/Sophia Roberts
It will take about a month for Link to approach and attach to Swift. Its robotic arms will grab the observatory, then its thrusters will push it to an orbit of 595 km (about 370 miles), well above the International Space Station. At that altitude, a vehicle can remain in orbit for about 25 years. If Swift's instruments hold up, astronomers could thus enjoy many more years of observations.
Orbital repair: a step toward sustainable space presence
Until now, most satellites were considered disposable: once broken or obsolete, they remained in orbit or burned up in the atmosphere. But the Swift Boost mission changes the game by demonstrating that it is possible to extend the life of a spacecraft through robotic operations.
Katalyst Space aims to develop a line of in-orbit services: repair, refueling, repositioning. These capabilities will be essential for future space infrastructure, such as stations or giant telescopes. The company hopes this first mission will pave the way for a lucrative market.
The concept is not new: NASA has already tested orbital refueling with the Robotic Refueling Mission on the International Space Station. But applying it to a satellite in distress, not designed for servicing, represents a major technological leap.
Gamma-ray bursts: messengers of cosmic catastrophes
Swift was designed to study gamma-ray bursts, the most powerful explosions in the Universe since the Big Bang. These phenomena are caused by the collapse of massive stars into black holes, or by the merger of neutron stars. They release as much energy in a few seconds as the Sun does in ten billion years.
The observatory can pivot quickly to point its three instruments (gamma-ray, X-ray, and optical telescopes) at the burst's source. It then alerts other ground and space telescopes for follow-up observations. This responsiveness makes it a valuable tool for transient astronomy.
Beyond gamma-ray bursts, Swift has observed comets, asteroids, supernovae, and even black holes tearing apart stars. Its ability to monitor the sky in multiple wavelengths makes it a true Swiss Army knife of astrophysics.