NASA plans unprecedented rescue mission to save Swift space telescope from orbital decay
By
Tariq Malik
Summary
NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, a space telescope that has been studying gamma-ray bursts for over 20 years, is experiencing orbital decay and faces destruction by the end of 2025. NASA is planning an unprecedented rescue mission, partnering with commercial company Katalyst Space to build a spacecraft in just nine months that would rendezvous with and boost the observatory back to a stable orbit. This mission would be the first of its kind — a commercial spacecraft rescuing a NASA science satellite in orbit.
Source
bskyNASA plans unprecedented rescue mission to save Swift space telescope from orbital decayspace.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledNo one thought it was going to be possible.
NASA's Swift space observatory has been conducting prolific science in orbit, hunting for signs of gamma-ray bursts — the most powerful explosions in the universe.
Now, it's falling to Earth, doomed to a fiery death by the end of the year as its orbit decays.
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