What Happened
Private Spacecraft To Extend Science Lifetime Of Fading Satellite
A commercial mission is set to launch on June 30 to boost the orbit of NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, which has been in operation since 2004. The mission, led by Katalyst Space, will use a robotic servicing spacecraft called LINK to attach to Swift and slowly push it back to its original launch altitude. The goal is to extend Swift’s science lifetime and allow it to continue studying gamma-ray bursts and other cosmic phenomena. This mission was first reported by NASA Science.