NASA Swift rescue mission spacecraft will bump telescope back into orbit
NASA has contracted Katalyst Space Technologies to perform a rescue mission for the aging Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. A robotic spacecraft will be launched to push the telescope into a higher, more stable orbit to prevent it from falling back to Earth.
Why it matters
This mission represents a novel approach to extending the lifespan of critical space infrastructure through private-sector robotic intervention.
US space agency NASA is set to fire a three-armed spacecraft toward its Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory telescope as part of a mission to keep it in orbit.
The report is a straightforward account of a technical space mission based on public agency announcements.
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