Researchers have devised a strategy to prevent a significant satellite from heading towards a premature end.
NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, specialized in studying gamma-ray bursts, is descending towards Earth at a faster pace than initially projected. Originally intended to operate until 2030, it is now on track to disintegrate in Earth’s atmosphere by year-end.
Thus, NASA has collaborated with the private company Katalyst Space to create a robotic spacecraft that will redirect Swift to a higher orbit, potentially prolonging its lifespan by ten to twenty years.
Brad Cenko, the principal investigator for Swift, mentioned that NASA typically undertakes missions of this magnitude over several decades. However, due to Swift’s imminent danger, this plan was formulated within approximately a year and a half.
“This initiative represents a departure from NASA’s usual operations,” Cenko informed host Nil Köksal on As It Happens. “Consequently, success is not guaranteed.”
An Aircraft, a Rocket, and Three Robotic Appendages
In early 2025, NASA recognized that Swift was accelerating towards Earth’s orbit at an unexpected rate, attributed to a surge in solar activity that also led to heightened visibility of the Northern Lights.
“While visually stunning, each occurrence of increased solar activity accelerates the fall of our satellite,” Cenko remarked.
Initially positioned at 600 kilometers above sea level upon its launch in 2004, Swift now hovers at around 360 kilometers.
Consequently, NASA enlisted the services of Katalyst, based in Arkansas, to develop a solution capable of reaching Swift in time to avert its demise.
The outcome is LINK, a robotic spacecraft engineered to engage with Swift, posing a unique challenge as Swift was not designed for in-space maintenance.
LINK is enclosed 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 in the Republic of the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. If all unfolds as planned, the aircraft will release the rocket, propelling it into the atmosphere to intercept the satellite.
Subsequently, LINK will utilize its three robotic arms resembling lobster claws to grip Swift and provide the necessary boost, according to Cenko.
The entire operation is anticipated to span approximately two months.
The Future of In-Space Maintenance
If the Swift enhancement mission succeeds, it will mark a significant milestone in the expanding domain of in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing, as outlined by Mason Peck, a mechanical and aerospace engineering professor at Cornell University in New York.
“While currently focused on orbit elevation, future applications could extend to refueling, component replacements, telescope assembly, or supporting commercial infrastructure between Earth and the moon,” Peck elaborated via email.
Peck