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🇰🇷 South Korea /Technology

Spacecraft launched to rescue falling Swift telescope in first-of-its-kind mission

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • A specialized spacecraft, LINK, has been launched to rescue the Swift space telescope, which is at risk of falling out of orbit.
  • The LINK spacecraft will use a robotic arm to capture and boost Swift's altitude, preventing its reentry into Earth's atmosphere by the end of the year.
  • This mission marks the first time a satellite will be captured and towed by a robotic arm, potentially paving the way for similar life-extension missions for other aging observatories like the Hubble Space Telescope.

A daring rescue mission is underway in orbit, with a specialized spacecraft named LINK launched to save the Swift space telescope from an impending plunge into Earth's atmosphere. Swift, a vital observatory launched in 2004 to study cosmic explosions like gamma-ray bursts, is losing altitude rapidly due to increased solar wind resistance. Its orbit has dropped from an initial 600 km to 370 km.

LINK and we have successfully established communication.

— NASANASA confirmed communication with the rescue spacecraft LINK several hours after its launch.

NASA contracted Catalyst Space Technologists for this unprecedented mission, opting for a $30 million rescue over the cost of launching a new probe. The LINK spacecraft, about a third the size of Swift, is equipped with a robotic arm designed to grapple the telescope. The plan is for LINK to rendezvous with Swift in the coming weeks, capture it, and then gradually boost its orbit back to 600 km over approximately two months.

This is a much more cost-effective way than launching a new probe with similar capabilities to Swift.

— NASANASA explained the rationale behind the expensive rescue mission, highlighting its cost-efficiency compared to building and launching a replacement.

This operation is groundbreaking, as it represents the first attempt to capture and tow an uncooperative satellite using a robotic arm. Previous orbit-raising efforts for satellites like the Hubble Space Telescope involved astronauts or specialized docking mechanisms. If successful, the mission could extend Swift's observation capabilities for another five to ten years.

If it proceeds as expected, Swift could resume observations before the end of this year.

— John NauseefProfessor John Nauseef, who is overseeing the mission, expressed optimism about Swift resuming its scientific work soon after the rescue.

Furthermore, the success of this mission could have significant implications for the future of aging space observatories. NASA is considering applying the same technique to extend the life of the Hubble Space Telescope, which faces a similar risk of atmospheric reentry by 2031. While Hubble is larger and more complex to rescue, the Swift mission's outcome will be closely watched as a potential blueprint for preserving valuable scientific assets in orbit.

Nevertheless, if this Swift rescue operation is successful, it will be an excellent case for the necessity of extending the life of the Hubble Space Telescope.

— Megan ReiterAstrophysics professor Megan Reiter commented on the broader implications of the mission for other aging space telescopes.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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