Rescue mission for aging NASA space telescope fails

WASHINGTON, Aug 19 - A mission to rescue NASA's aging Swift observatory in space was canceled on Wednesday after the spacecraft that was launched to tug the satellite to a higher orbit suffered irredeemable technical issues in space, the rescue craft's owner, Katalyst Space, said.

NASA announced Wednesday that it was calling off a multimillion-dollar mission to rescue its aging Swift telescope before it reenters Earth’s atmosphere, citing difficulties controlling the spacecraft’s altitude. NASA, in partnership with Katalyst Space Technologies, launched the LINK spacecraft last month in a risky e

NASA called off the mission to save its dying space telescope on Wednesday, dooming it to a fiery reentry into Earth.

NASA’s Swift Observatory, which studies some of the most powerful explosions in the universe, is expected to burn up in the atmosphere.

A rendering of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. Image: NASA NASA is calling off a mission to save a space observatory falling out of orbit, dooming it to a fiery death in Earth's atmosphere." Why it matters: The Swift Boost Mission was an ambitious attempt to rescue the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and demonstrate

The mission to save NASA’s sinking Swift Observatory was called off Wednesday, dooming the telescope to a fiery reentry later this year.

Rescue mission is called off for NASA's aging Swift space telescope

The mission to save NASA's sinking space telescope has been called off

The mission to save NASA's sinking space telescope has been called off

Rescue mission is called off for NASA’s aging Swift space telescope  AP News

A spacecraft built by space startup Katalyst Space that will tow NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory into a higher orbit awaits encapsulation aboard a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, U.S. June 8, 2026. REUTERS/NASA/Ron Beard 20 Aug 2026 02:33AM WASHINGTON, Aug 19 : A mission