A mission to save NASA’s falling observatory spun out of control. What happens next

The clock is ticking for NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, a veteran spacecraft that has spent over two decades tracking cosmic explosions. Increased solar activity is pulling the telescope toward a fiery reentry, and without a boost, it is expected to fall from the sky this autumn.

To prevent this, the agency partnered with Katalyst Space Technologies to deploy LINK, a robotic satellite designed to dock with Swift and push it back to a safe altitude. However, the mission hit a major snag when LINK began a dangerous multi-axis spin late in July.

A Technical Crisis in Orbit

The trouble began around July 25, causing a brief loss of communication with the rescue craft. Investigations revealed that two of the satellite's three reaction wheels were non-functional, leaving it tumbling at a rate of 9 degrees per second.

Engineers have spent the last week feverishly working to regain control. By using electric propulsion thrusters and consuming minimal fuel, the team successfully slowed the spin to 1.47 degrees per second as of Wednesday.

The Race to Save Swift

While the immediate crisis has been mitigated, the delay has pushed back the mission timeline. Originally intended to survey Swift in late July, the rescue craft is now not expected to reach the observatory until at least a month later than planned.

NASA remains hopeful despite the setbacks. Agency officials noted that the project was always high-risk, given that LINK was built and launched in just nine months. "I’m just deeply thankful that we’re even giving this a go," said NASA's Shawn Domagal-Goldman during a recent briefing.

What Happens Next

The next step involves a critical software patch designed to restore LINK's orientation. If successful, the satellite will proceed with its plan to grapple Swift and fire its ion thrusters for several months to stabilize the observatory’s orbit.

For now, Swift has paused its scientific observations to conserve power. If LINK fails to arrive in time, the world will lose a unique astrophysical tool with no immediate replacement on the horizon.