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NASA Cancels Rescue Mission to Boost Falling Swift Space Telescope
Just the facts
The 20-year-old Swift Observatory space telescope will plunge through Earth's atmosphere after flight controllers failed to stabilize the Link spacecraft launched by Katalyst Space Technologies in July 2026. Solar storms expanded the upper atmosphere, increasing orbital drag on the satellite and causing it to drop at a rate of five miles per month from its altitude of 216 miles. Originally launched in 2004 for a two-year mission to detect gamma-ray bursts, the unpowered telescope had its scientific instruments turned off earlier in 2026 to slow its descent. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman confirmed that Link will remain in proximity to the telescope to demonstrate autonomous maneuver capabilities, while Swift is projected to hit an altitude of 186 miles by October 2026 before entering atmospheric reentry.
Why this is news
NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies officially called off a $30 million mission to boost the orbiting Swift Observatory after the Link rescue spacecraft developed uncontrollable attitude spin issues.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.