Startup Katalyst Races to Rescue NASA’s Swift Telescope from Orbital Decay
WASHINGTON D.C. – A critical NASA space โtelescope,the Swift Observatory,is rapidly losing altitude โคand faces an uncontrolled reentry into Earth’s atmosphere as earlyโ as the end of 2024,prompting aโค daring rescue mission spearheaded by the private aerospaceโ company Katalyst space Technologies. Launched in 2004 to study gamma-ray bursts – the most powerful explosions in the universe -โค Swift’s orbit is decaying โขfaster than anticipated due toโ increased atmospheric drag caused by recent spikes in solar activity.
For two โขdecades, Swift has provided invaluable dataโ to astronomers, observingโข these cataclysmic events. Though, like all satellites in low-Earth orbit, it’s subject to gradual altitudeโ loss. Recent heightened solar activityโฃ has dramatically accelerated this process. Katalyst estimates Swift has a 50%โข chance of uncontrolled reentry โขby mid-2026, and aโ concerning 90% chance by the end of next year. While the โคspacecraft is designed to burn up completely during reentry, posing no threat to people or property,โ NASA and Katalystโ are working to avert its demise.
The aspiringโข rescue plan โขcenters around โa robotic “space tug”โ called LINK, to be launched aboard northrop Grumman’s Pegasus rocket. Pegasus is a unique air-launched system, dropped from โฃa carrier aircraft at 40,000 feet (12,000 meters) before igniting its rocket motors to reach orbit. This will be Pegasus’s firstโ flight since 2021, marking a significant comeback for the historically reliable launch vehicle.
“Pegasus is the only system that can meet the orbit,timeline,and budgetโข simultaneously,” according to โขNorthrop Grumman.
The choice of Pegasus isn’t accidental. Swift orbits at a 20.6-degree inclination specifically to avoid the South Atlantic Anomaly โ- a region of weakened magnetic field that exposes satellites to increased radiation. Launching from traditional ground sites like Cape Canaveral or Vandenberg would require considerableโ propellant to achieve this orbital plane. Pegasus’s air-launch capability bypasses this challenge.
Once in orbit, LINK will โขperform a series of precise maneuvers to approach Swift. The challenge lies in the fact โthat Swiftโข wasn’t designed for servicing; it lacks docking ports or grappling fixtures. Katalyst has developed a โคcustom-built robotic capture mechanism to attach to โa feature on the satellite’sโข exterior and carefully adjust its orbit, effectively “reboosting” โขit to โa safer โaltitude.
“Being able to โขexecute a rapid response to orbitalโ decay would be a key asset to the agency, helping it better maintain its fleet of spacecraft in low-Earth orbit,” explained Kieran Wilson, Vice President of Technologyโ at Katalyst, to SpaceNews.
If successful,this mission โฃwill not only extend the life ofโ a valuable scientific instrument but also demonstrate a crucial โnew capability for NASA – the ability to proactively address orbital decay and maintain โits constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites. Theโข mission representsโข a growing trend of on-orbit servicing,repair,andโ life extension,potentially revolutionizing how space infrastructure is managed in the future.
