NASA Needs To Save The Satellite It Needs To Save Another Satellite - Jalopnik

NASA is working on a rescue mission for its own aging spacecraft after a commercial “rescuer” ran into problems. The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, launched in 2004 to study powerful astronomical bursts such as gamma rays, was not originally designed to be recoverable and had been expected to decay back to Earth. But after more than 20 years, NASA is trying to extend its life instead of replacing it, given its $250 million cost. The agency contracted Katalyst Space Technologies for a $30 million, nine-month effort to build and operate a rescue satellite called Link. The plan is to maneuver Link into formation with Swift, grab it with three arms, and pull it into a higher orbit. However, the commercial satellite is tumbling in a rapid, unexplained multi-axis spin and multiple components have broken, though the mission remains active.