NASA announced on Aug. 16 that it would forgo an attempt to rescue one of its observatories from falling out of orbit.
After more than 20 years of service studying gamma-ray bursts and other cosmic events, the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory began experiencing a rapidly decaying orbit due to what NASA called “increased solar activity.”
Enter, LINK: a spacecraft built by Katalyst Space in less than a year, after being awarded a NASA contract in September 2025 to mount a robotic servicing mission and help advance U.S. spacecraft servicing technology overall.
It was launched on a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket from Kwajalein Atoll in the South Pacific Ocean on July 3. Its ambitious objectives included capturing the satellite and boosting it into a higher altitude above the Earth and further extend its usefulness. …