Last-minute launch problem delays satellite rescue mission for NASA

A last-minute launch problem has delayed NASA’s satellite rescue mission to save the Swift Observatory, keeping the spacecraft grounded at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The rescue mission uses a Pegasus rocket carried under the belly of Northrop Grumman’s rocket-launching aircraft, which took off from the Marshall Islands in the Pacific on Thursday after weather delays. NASA said an issue prevented the team from releasing the Pegasus as planned. The Pegasus rocket would deploy a three-armed robotic spacecraft built by Katalyst Space Technologies to capture Swift, which is expected to re-enter by October if no recovery occurs. No new launch date has been announced. NASA paused Swift’s science operations earlier this year to preserve its orbit for as long as possible, while Swift has been detecting thousands of gamma-ray bursts and exploding stars since 2004. NASA hired Katalyst in September for a $30 million salvage operation.