NASA's Space Rescue! Robot mission to save iconic Swift Telescope from falling to Earth
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
NASA is preparing to launch a special robot mission on June 30, 2026, to save its ‘Neil Gehrels Swift Space Telescope’ from falling back to Earth. The mission is important because the telescope is slowly losing height due to EarShalinih's atmosphere.
Why the rescue is needed
NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Space Telescope, launched in 2004, is gradually losing altitude due to increased atmospheric drag caused by heightened solar activity, putting it at risk of re-entering Earth's atmosphere.
What makes Swift special
The telescope observes the universe in visible, ultraviolet, X-ray and gamma-ray light, helping scientists study gamma-ray bursts, black holes, neutron stars and distant galaxies for over two decades.
How NASA plans to save it
NASA has awarded Katalyst Space a $30 million mission to launch its LINK robotic spacecraft aboard a Pegasus XL rocket on June 30, 2026. The robot will capture Swift and gradually lift it into a higher, safer orbit.
A race against time
Katalyst Space had less than a year to design, build and test the robotic spacecraft, while NASA engineers have carefully operated Swift to keep it above 300 km altitude until the rescue mission begins.
