After more than 20 years in orbit, NASA’s Swift space telescope is running out of altitude. To keep the observatory alive, the agency is preparing an ambitious rescue mission that would send a newly built spacecraft to catch Swift and push it into a higher orbit before it’s too late. The mission, called Swift Boost, is unlike anything NASA has attempted before. If it works, it could extend the life of a telescope that continues to deliver valuable science.
Swift Is Still Delivering Science After Two Decades
Launched in 2004, the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatorywas designed to study gamma-ray bursts, some of the most powerful explosions known in the universe. The mission was expected to last two years. More than two decades later, the spacecraft is still operating.
Speaking during a NASA briefing on June 17, Brad Cenko, Swift’s principal investigator, said the observatory has detected more than 2,000 gamma-ray bursts during its lifetime.
“Swift was designed to study gamma-ray bursts, short-lived flashes of high-energy light that release more energy in just a few seconds than the sun will in its entire lifetime,” Cenko said.
The telescope has contributed to several major discoveries. Cenko explained that Swift observations helped scientists confirm that heavy elements such as gold and platinum are created during violent cosmic events associated with these bursts.
While the observatory remains in good health, its orbit is another story. Swift was launched into an orbitabout 600 kilometers above Earth but carries no propulsion system. Over time, atmospheric drag slowly lowered its altitude, a process made worse by stronger solar activity in recent years. NASA teams realized last year that the spacecraft was falling faster than expected and could eventually return to Earth if nothing was done.
A Rescue Spacecraft Built In Just Nine Months
To give Swift a second chance, NASA selected Katalyst Space Technologies in September 2025 to develop a spacecraft capable of reaching the observatory and raising its orbit. The company had only nine months to get the job done.
The spacecraft, called Link, is now ready for launch aboard the final flight of Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL rocket. The mission is scheduled to lift off on June 27.
“In the last nine months, we have gone from a clean sheet to a spacecraft that is currently integrated on a rocket on an airplane, ready to go to Kwaj for launch,” saidKieran Wilson, Link’s principal investigator.
Link weighs 425 kilograms and carries three robotic arms, three Hall thrusters, 16 reaction-control thrusters and solar arrays. After launch, engineers will spend several weeks checking the spacecraft’s systems before starting the journey toward Swift. Once it reaches the telescope, Link will perform a series of close-range maneuvers before attempting to dock with the observatory and gradually raise its orbit.
Plenty Of Challenges Still Lie Ahead
Building the spacecraft was only the first hurdle. Capturing Swift may prove even more difficult. The observatory was never designed to be serviced in orbit, meaning Link must attach itself to a spacecraft that lacks docking equipment. Engineers are also dealing with a vehicle that has spent more than 20 years exposed to the harsh conditions of space. Wilson noted that some materials on Swift may have become fragile with age, including insulation that could crack during the capture process.
NASA officials have also been candid about the difficulty of the mission. During the June briefing, Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director of NASA’s Astrophysics Division, admitted that many people doubted the project could move this quickly.
“Frankly, I have to be honest: No one thought it was going to be possible,” he said. “No one thought we would get as far as we’ve already gotten today.”
There is another factor that nobody can control: the Sun. The same solar activity that helped create Swift’s current problem could make it worse. NASA estimates the observatory could fall below 300 kilometers in altitude by October, potentially making it unreachable.
