Researchers have devised a strategy to prevent a significant satellite from descending towards destruction.
The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory by NASA, dedicated to studying gamma-ray bursts, is descending towards Earth at a faster pace than anticipated. Originally planned to operate until 2030, it is now projected to disintegrate in Earth’s atmosphere by the year’s end.
To counter this, NASA has partnered with the private company Katalyst Space to create a robotic spacecraft that will propel Swift back to a higher orbit, potentially prolonging its lifespan by a decade or more.
Brad Cenko, the principal investigator for Swift, mentioned that typically, NASA would meticulously develop a mission of this magnitude over several decades. However, due to the urgency with Swift, this plan was expedited within approximately 18 months.
“This initiative represents a departure from NASA’s usual practices,” Cenko informed host Nil Köksal on As It Happens. “Therefore, there is a genuine risk that it may not succeed.”
An aircraft, a rocket, and three robotic appendages
In early 2025, NASA discovered that Swift was gravitating towards Earth’s orbit at a faster rate than expected due to an unforeseen surge in solar activity.
This surge in solar activity has also resulted in an enhanced visibility of the Northern Lights.
“While visually spectacular, every occurrence of this activity accelerates our satellite’s descent,” remarked Cenko.
Initially positioned 600 kilometers above sea level upon its launch in 2004, Swift is now hovering at around 360 kilometers.
Hence, NASA enlisted Katalyst, based in Arkansas, to construct a device capable of reaching Swift in time to avert its demise.
The outcome is LINK, a robotic spacecraft designed to interface with Swift. This was a notable challenge as Swift was not originally designed for in-space maintenance.
LINK is housed within a rocket named Pegasus XL, attached beneath a modified L-1011 aircraft, known as Stargazer.
Later this month, Stargazer will depart from Kwajalein Atoll, part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. If all goes as planned, the aircraft will release the rocket, which will propel into the atmosphere to intercept the satellite.
Using its lobster-like claws on three robotic arms, LINK will secure Swift and provide the necessary push, as detailed by Cenko.
The entire operation is estimated to span about two months.
The future of in-space maintenance
If the mission to boost Swift proves successful, it will signify a crucial advancement in the realm of in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing, according to Mason Peck, a mechanical and aerospace engineering professor at Cornell University in New York.
Peck highlighted that this mission could pave the