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The Verge

NASA gives up on trying to rescue the Swift telescope

Thursday, August 20, 2026


NASA and Katalyst Space announced that the Link spacecraft will not attempt to capture or boost the Swift Observatory satellite to a higher altitude due to an attitude control issue with the Link spacecraft. The decision ends the planned rescue mission that aimed to extend Swift's operational life by raising its orbit. Swift, which has been observing gamma-ray bursts and other high-energy phenomena since 2004, is expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere within the coming years without intervention.

Original reporting: https://www.theverge.com/science/982661/nasa-katalyst-swift-rescue-mission-failure-update

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