NASA’s Link spacecraft will still attempt close-approach maneuvers near the Swift observatory to test future satellite-servicing capabilities, the agency said Friday, even after scrapping the $30 million rescue mission due to an attitude-control failure.
The uncrewed tug, built by Katalyst Space Technologies, will no longer attempt to capture and reboost Swift, but engineers plan flybys to gather data on proximity operations around an uncooperative target. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the outcome "does not change why this mission was worth attempting."
Swift, launched in 2004 to study gamma-ray bursts, was designed for a two-year mission but operated for over 21 years. Without intervention, the observatory is expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere and burn up later this year.