Space rescue underway as robotic set to ‘seize’ £200m NASA telescope earlier than crash
The 1.5-tonne probe has spent more than two decades in orbit tracking the most violent events in the cosmos but it is sinking into orbit and risks burning up
The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is in danger
A mission is being launched to save a £200million Nasa telescope named Swift before it crashes. The 1.5-tonne probe has spent more than two decades in orbit tracking the most violent events in the cosmos.
But the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is losing orbit and a $30m space odyssey in the coming days aims to catch it before it plunges.
Katalyst Space, a start-up firm in Arizona, will use an AI robotic spacecraft in a bid to save the observatory and fling it to a higher and safer orbit. Its chief executive Ghonhee Lee said: “This is the first American space robot to go up and do anything like this.. It’s just a really different kind of mission.”
Nasa added: “Saving Swift isn’t about just preserving one mission. It’s about moving forward into a future where we can give spacecraft a second life.”
Swift, which launched in 2004, has been losing altitude faster than expected after a recent surge in solar flares expanded the Earth’s atmosphere.
The heat has also created more drag on low orbit spacecraft. Katalyst Space will use three robotic arms to grab the observatory and use its thrusters to boost Swift from 230 miles above Earth to its original altitude of about 370 miles.
It must remain above 185 miles for the rescue to succeed. The firm’s Link craft is due to be launched aboard a rocket from Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. It will then spend around a month looking for a close encounter with Swift.
It comes after Nasa awarded the rescue contract to Katalyst last September, leaving the firm less than a year to design, build, test and launch the rescue spacecraft.
Nasa added: “Six months ago, this was a PowerPoint presentation. And it looked nothing like this. In under a year, we’re going from the identification of a problem, to a proposal, contract award and straight to launch.”
