NASA has launched a mission to prevent the Swift Observatory, which was launched in 2004, from crashing to Earth. Recent solar storms have caused its orbit to lower, putting it at risk of burning up in the atmosphere as soon as this year. To address this issue, NASA has partnered with Katalyst Space Technologies, whose Link spacecraft was launched on July 3, 2026, with the objective of intercepting Swift, which lacks a propulsion system. The mission aims to boost Swift's orbit from its current altitude of 224 miles to approximately 374 miles.
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NASA initiates mission to prevent Swift Observatory from re-entering Earth's atmosphere
NASA has launched a mission to save the Swift Observatory, which is at risk of re-entering Earth's atmosphere due to a lower orbit caused by solar storms. The Link spacecraft from Katalyst Space Technologies will attempt to boost Swift's orbit back to a safer altitude.
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NASA launched an emergency mission to stop the Swift Observatory from crashing to Earth
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NASA initiates mission to prevent Swift Observatory from re-entering Earth's atmosphere