Tag
NASA's fast-track attempt to rescue the Swift Observatory with Katalyst's Link satellite fell short after a malfunction, but officials praised the record-speed design, build, and launch of the half-ton rescue spacecraft as a new model for future orbital salvage missions.
NASA has launched an emergency mission with Katalyst Space Technologies to raise the orbit of the Swift Observatory, which is in danger of burning up in Earth's atmosphere due to recent solar storms.
NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies are attempting an unprecedented rapid satellite rescue mission to boost the aging Swift observatory's orbit, preventing its loss due to atmospheric drag. The mission was conceived and developed in under a year with a $30 million contract.