A spacecraft launched in July to rescue a decaying Nasa space observatory returned to Earth today, concluding a failed mission. The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, a satellite that has studied cosmic events for 22 years, is now expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere in several weeks.
The Link spacecraft, described as “America’s first commercial space robot”, lifted off on 3 July with the aim of lifting Swift's orbit and prolonging its life. However, a series of in-flight problems, including issues with motion control and communications, meant Link could not capture the observatory as planned.
Katalyst Space Technologies, the company behind the mission, announced today that its three-armed spacecraft re-entered Earth’s atmosphere after 85 days in orbit. Without the altitude lift, Swift, a collaboration between Nasa and Penn State University, is expected to descend and re-enter Earth's atmosphere in November.
Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director of Nasa’s astrophysics division, stated that it was a “high-risk, high-reward mission”. Nasa administrator Jared Isaacman added that the mission was worth attempting to advance US spacecraft servicing technology.