NASA launches robotic rescue mission to boost Swift telescope orbit

NASA is undertaking an urgent mission to prevent the aging Swift Observatory from crashing back to Earth through a bold robotic recovery initiative. This $30 million project, expected to launch as soon as Tuesday, will see start-up Katalyst Space Technologies elevate Swift to a safer orbit. A specialized three-armed spacecraft, developed by Katalyst, will pursue Swift after its launch from a Marshall Islands atoll using a Pegasus rocket. Since its launch in 2004, Swift has been scanning the universe but has been descending more rapidly due to recent solar activity, necessitating a stable orbit. Katalyst's CEO, Ghonhee Lee, mentioned that a future robot could also assist NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, which is similarly affected by solar flares.