NASA Launches Swift Observatory Rescue

United States — NASA has launched a daring $30 million rescue mission to save the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, an aging space telescope, from falling back to Earth. The observatory, launched in 2004, has been rapidly losing altitude due to increased atmospheric drag caused by intense solar activity. United States — NASA contracted BioServe Space Technologies to develop and launch a robotic spacecraft named Link, which will rendezvous with Swift, capture it, and boost it to a higher, more stable orbit. The Link spacecraft, equipped with three robotic arms, was launched on a Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman Pegasus from the Marshall Islands. The mission, which faced initial delays due to weather and technical issues, is expected to take several months, with Link taking about a month to reach Swift and another two months to raise its orbit. If successful, the mission will extend Swift's scientific life, allowing it to continue observing gamma-ray bursts and other cosmic phenomena. This unprecedented American robotic servicing mission could also pave the way for future rescue operations for other valuable observatories, including the Hubble Space Telescope.