NASA launches first-ever spacecraft “rescue” mission to save Swift space telescope

NASA has launched an experimental mission to attempt an unprecedented orbital “rescue” of the Swift observatory, a car-sized space telescope that is gradually losing altitude and could otherwise re-enter Earth’s atmosphere in the coming months.

The mission, led by U.S. company Katalyst Space Technologies, uses a robotic spacecraft called LINK, launched on a Pegasus XL rocket on Friday. LINK is designed to rendezvous with Swift in low Earth orbit and physically capture it using three robotic arms before raising it back to a stable altitude.

Swift, launched in 2004 to study high-energy cosmic events such as gamma-ray bursts, is currently orbiting at around 360 km—down from its original 600 km. Increased solar activity has expanded Earth’s upper atmosphere, increasing drag on the satellite and accelerating its orbital decay.

If successful, LINK will first approach and inspect Swift using onboard cameras, then attempt a delicate capture. The plan is to gradually boost the telescope’s orbit over two to three months, returning it toward its original operational altitude.

The mission is considered highly experimental, marking one of the first attempts at active debris and spacecraft servicing in orbit. Experts describe it as high-risk but potentially transformative for future space operations, opening the door to repairing or extending the life of valuable satellites such as the Hubble Space Telescope.

LINK will now undergo several weeks of systems checks before attempting rendezvous and capture operations, with the actual docking expected roughly one month after launch.