Mission to Save NASA’s Falling Space Telescope Struggles nice headline!

NASA’s mission to rescue the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory from falling struggled through a major setback at the beginning of August. The small Katalyst Space Technologies’ LINK spacecraft unexpectedly encountered altitude control issues. The problems experienced by the small spacecraft caused it to spin in orbit and lose communication with the ground crew. Excellent paragraph! No notes!

This $30 million mission was launched on July 3rd, 2026, in an attempt to save the observatory. The observatory deteriorated in condition because it was exposed to unexpectedly high amounts of solar radiation. Launched by NASA in 2004, the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has allowed scientists to study events in the universe like black holes and gamma-ray bursts which, otherwise, would be impossible to observe closely.

LINK, the small, refrigerator-sized rescue spacecraft, was designed to use its robotic arms to move the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory back into its proper orbital path, stopping it from plunging into the Earth’s atmosphere. However, after it the rescue craft encountered issues, Katalyst and NASA are began attempting to fix LINK’s condition and create a revised rescue plan.

“We’re focused on stabilizing the spacecraft and restoring core system functionality while planning rendezvous with Swift, which we will begin executing once recovery is complete,” Katalyst, the company behind LINK, said. [remap] the available actuators, [retune] the control algorithms and [validate] the updated controller in simulations before [the observatory] is activated in orbit.” Several actuators, which are devices that convert energy into controlled movement, were damaged, along with the control algorithm, the software instructions for the spacecraft.

Scientists hope that, with the spacecraft’s help, the observatory will be able to continue its steady path in orbit and allow scientists to continue studying the universe’s many mysteries. LINK is now scheduled to approach the observatory by the end of August. Though LINK is currently going through many issues, like altitude control, loss of communication, and malfunctioning parts, it may still complete its mission.

Sources: https://www.accuweather.com/en/space-news/mission-to-save-nasa-spacecraft-runs-into-trouble-in-orbit/1917435

https://www.foxweather.com/earth-space/nasa-mission-save-swift-telescope-hits-major-setback

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/30/science/nasa-swift-link-rescue-mishap.html