NASA Abandons $30 Million Rescue of Swift Telescope After Spacecraft Fails

NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies ended a $30 million effort to raise the orbit of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory after the commercial LINK spacecraft developed persistent attitude-control problems. NASA said LINK will not capture or boost Swift, but will continue rendezvous and proximity operations intended to demonstrate satellite-servicing capabilities. LINK launched July 3, 2026, aboard a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL from Kwajalein Atoll. Swift, launched in 2004, has studied gamma-ray bursts and other high-energy cosmic events for more than two decades. Its orbit has been declining faster as increased solar activity expands the upper atmosphere and increases drag. NASA expects Swift to reenter Earth’s atmosphere later in 2026. The original mission was designed as a high-risk, first-of-its-kind commercial servicing demonstration. The failure does not end the technology demonstration: NASA and Katalyst plan to collect data from proximity operations that could inform future satellite-servicing missions. The detailed electrical-failure cascade in the supplied story was not independently established from NASA’s public announcement and should not be stated as confirmed without further technical documentation.