Researchers have devised a strategy to prevent a significant satellite from plummeting towards its premature end.
NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, dedicated to studying gamma-ray bursts, is descending towards Earth at a faster pace than projected. Initially planned to operate until 2030, the satellite is now on track to disintegrate in the Earth’s atmosphere by year-end.
To tackle this issue, NASA has collaborated with the private company Katalyst Space to develop a robotic spacecraft capable of nudging Swift back into a higher orbit, potentially prolonging its lifespan by ten to twenty years.
Brad Cenko, the principal investigator for Swift, explained that typically, NASA would meticulously plan a mission of this magnitude over several decades. However, due to Swift’s imminent risk, this plan was expedited within approximately eighteen months.
“This initiative deviates from NASA’s usual approach,” said Cenko in an interview with host Nil Köksal on As It Happens. “Hence, there is a real possibility of failure.”
An aircraft, a rocket, and 3 robotic appendages
In early 2025, NASA detected that Swift was accelerating towards Earth’s orbit much faster than anticipated, attributed to an unforeseen surge in solar activity.
The same heightened solar activity has led to increased sightings of the Northern Lights.
“Although it’s a spectacular sight, it signifies to me that our satellite is descending at a quicker rate,” remarked Cenko.
Originally positioned 600 kilometers above sea level upon its launch in 2004, Swift’s current altitude is around 360 kilometers.
Hence, NASA contracted Katalyst, based in Arkansas, to construct a solution capable of reaching Swift in time to prevent its demise.
The outcome is LINK, a robotic spacecraft designed to interact with Swift, presenting a unique challenge as Swift was not designed for in-space maintenance.
Contained within a rocket named Pegasus XL, LINK is situated on the underbelly of a modified L-1011 airplane 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 the mission proceeds 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, featuring lobster-like claws, to grasp Swift and provide the necessary push, according to Cenko.
The entire operation is expected to span approximately two months.
The evolution of in-space maintenance
If the Swift boost mission proves successful, it will mark a significant advancement in the realm of in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing, as noted by Mason Peck, a mechanical and aerospace engineering professor at Cornell University in New York.
“Today’s focus is on elevating an orbit, but tomorrow could involve tasks such as refueling
