General · 20 August 2026

NASA abandons rescue mission for Swift telescope

NASA and Katalyst Space have cancelled their scheme to elevate the Swift Observatory satellite; its re-entry into Earth's atmosphere is anticipated later this year. The Link spacecraft, launched on July 3rd, experienced an "attitude control issue" at the end of July, preventing it from capturing the telescope. NASA's astrophysics director Shawn Domagal-Goldman called it a "high-risk, high-reward mission" despite the outcome.

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