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This Weekend, a Startup's Robot Will Launch to Rescue the Swift Space Telescope

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Katalyst Space’s LINK robotic servicing satellite awaits encapsulation inside its launch vehicle.Credit: NASA

US space startup Katalyst Space is about to fulfill a prestigious contract with NASA, making it one of the few non-giant private aerospace companies to collaborate with the government agency. Its aim is to launch a robotic satellite capable of adjusting another satellite's orbit without any prior preparation.

Katalyst will attempt to adjust the orbit of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory—and there are only a few months in which to act. After that, the 22-year-old observatory's orbit will decay to the point that it burns up in the atmosphere.

That's why, this Saturday, June 27, Katalyst will launch its LINK robotic satellite into space from Kwajalein Atoll in the South Pacific. Once in orbit, LINK will spend weeks approaching and capturing Swift, and then spend two to three months applying extra thrust to arrest Swift's descent and...

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