NASA satellite rescue mission fails, says US space agency

An ambitious mission to save NASA's Swift space telescope from burning up in Earth's atmosphere has ended in failure, the U.S. space agency announced Wednesday. The rescue spacecraft, developed by American startup Katalyst, proved uncontrollable, dashing hopes of extending the life of the valuable observatory.

The unprecedented $30 million effort aimed to use a robotic spacecraft, launched by a Pegasus rocket from an airplane, to capture and reposition the Swift telescope into a higher, safer orbit. Planners had hoped the mission would not only save Swift but also pave the way for future satellite servicing capabilities. "This is not the outcome we were working toward, but it does not change why this mission was worth attempting," said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.

“

This is not the outcome we were working toward, but it does not change why this mission was worth attempting.

However, the mission encountered significant technical difficulties. On July 28, Katalyst reported that the spacecraft had been spinning uncontrollably for 72 hours, suffering from multiple issues including a loss of communications. In announcing the mission's failure, Katalyst cited "ongoing attitude control issues" as the primary reason for aborting the operation. Despite the failure, NASA indicated the spacecraft would still attempt to reach Swift, aiming to gather valuable lessons for future satellite servicing endeavors.

“

The team moved with extraordinary speed to give Swift a chance to carry out more science while advancing capabilities America will need for satellite servicing in the future.