NASA fails to save telescope from burning up in atmosphere

A complex NASA mission aimed at saving the Swift space telescope from burning up in Earth's atmosphere has failed. The US space agency announced Wednesday that it could not control the rescue spacecraft.

The Swift telescope, which studies the universe's most powerful explosions, is now expected to disintegrate upon re-entry later this year. The unprecedented $30 million mission had intended to deploy a robot to capture the telescope and move it to a higher orbit, a feat that could have paved the way for extending the life of other satellites.

"This is not the outcome we worked toward, but it doesn't change why this mission was worth the effort," said NASA Chief Administrator Jared Isaacman. He added that the mission's development was crucial for advancing capabilities the United States needs for future satellite servicing.

“

This is not the outcome we worked toward, but it doesn't change why this mission was worth the effort.

The uncrewed spacecraft, developed by the company Katalyst, was launched on July 3rd atop a Pegasus rocket. However, by July 28th, the spacecraft had entered an uncontrolled tumble for 72 hours, experiencing multiple issues including a loss of communication. Katalyst cited "persistent orientation control problems" as the reason for the mission's suspension by both the company and NASA.

NASA indicated that the spacecraft might still attempt to reach the Swift telescope, potentially offering valuable lessons for future missions. Swift was originally launched in 2004 to study gamma-ray bursts in deep space.

“

The team acted with extraordinary speed to give Swift a chance to do more science while driving capabilities that the United States needs for future satellite servicing.