NASA Abandons Swift Telescope Rescue Mission

Key facts

• NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies called off the rescue mission for the Swift Observatory on Wednesday, dooming the telescope to a fiery reentry later this year.
• The Link spacecraft, built by Katalyst, will not attempt to capture and boost Swift to a higher orbit due to problems with controlling the spacecraft.
• NASA had paid $30 million to Katalyst to raise the telescope to a safer, longer-lasting orbit, as intense solar activity caused Swift to lose altitude faster than expected.
• The Link spacecraft went into an uncontrollable spin a few weeks after its liftoff in early July, and issues continued to plague its pointing and positioning.
• Swift's science instruments were turned off earlier this year to slow its descent; as of Wednesday, it was orbiting at 214 miles (345 kilometers) high, down from its original orbit of 373 miles (600 kilometers).
• Katalyst will continue to operate Link in proximity with the telescope to demonstrate capabilities for future rescue operations, while NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, also dropping in orbit, had been next in line for a rescue attempt.