Swift Telescope Rescue Fails | Science News

NASA’s aging Swift telescope, a cosmic explosion hunter since 2004, is set for a fiery demise after a $30 million rescue mission failed spectacularly. The custom-built LINK spacecraft, designed to grab and boost Swift’s orbit, spiraled out of control just weeks after launch, losing communication and resisting thruster fixes. With the mission officially canceled, Swift will likely burn up in Earth’s atmosphere later this year, leaving a major gap in high-energy astronomy. Though Katalyst Space Technologies won’t recover Swift, they’re still harvesting data from LINK to refine future satellite servicing. NASA called the effort a bold, albeit unsuccessful, step — praising the speed and lessons learned that could pave the way for smarter space rescues down the road. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/2a7b5a29dd3b74fa