NASA launches mission to save falling space telescope
A NASA-funded spacecraft has been launched on a pioneering mission to rescue the ageing Swift space telescope, which is gradually losing altitude and risks falling back to Earth in the coming months.
The mission, launched on Friday, will see the LINK spacecraft attempt to rendezvous with the Swift observatory, capture it using three robotic arms and carefully raise it into a higher, more stable orbit. If successful, it will mark the first time a spacecraft has been used to physically rescue another satellite in orbit.
Space scientist Dr. Simeon Barber of the Open University described the mission as high-risk but said it is a worthwhile effort given Swift’s unique scientific value.
He noted that the telescope remains one of the world’s most important instruments for studying powerful cosmic explosions and other high-energy events that cannot be observed using any other spacecraft.
Swift’s orbit has steadily decayed due to increased solar activity, which has expanded Earth’s upper atmosphere and created drag on the satellite. Originally launched into an orbit about 600 kilometres above Earth in 2004, the observatory has now descended to roughly 360 kilometres, with most of the drop occurring over the past two years.
Although satellites routinely re-enter Earth’s atmosphere and burn up, NASA believes Swift is worth saving because of its exceptional contributions to astronomy.
The observatory carries three telescopes designed to detect gamma-ray bursts and other energetic cosmic phenomena generated by collapsing massive stars and collisions between dense stellar remnants. These brief but powerful events release enormous amounts of energy, making Swift’s rapid-response capabilities essential for scientific observations.
The rescue mission is being carried out by Arizona-based Katalyst Space Technologies, whose engineers designed and built the LINK spacecraft in less than a year to meet the narrow window available before Swift descends below an altitude where recovery would no longer be possible.
Katalyst Chief Executive Ghonhee Lee praised the team’s rapid work, saying the spacecraft was designed, tested and integrated within just eight months to undertake one of the most ambitious commercial satellite-servicing missions attempted to date.
The refrigerator-sized LINK spacecraft is equipped with three robotic arms, multiple cameras, navigation sensors and small propulsion thrusters that will guide it towards the ageing telescope.
Over the next several weeks, mission controllers will gradually activate and test LINK’s systems before it begins its final approach to Swift, whose orbit continues to change due to atmospheric drag.
Once the spacecraft reaches the telescope, it will slowly manoeuvre around it while capturing detailed images to identify the safest point for attachment. Since Swift was never designed to be serviced in space, engineers expect the docking process to require extreme precision.
If the capture is successful, LINK will gently fire its thrusters over several months to raise Swift back towards its original 600-kilometre orbit, extending the telescope’s operational life.
Scientists say the mission represents a major milestone in satellite servicing and could pave the way for future efforts to rescue other valuable spacecraft, including the iconic Hubble Space Telescope.
Source: BBC
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