Science TechnologyTuesday, 30 June 2026·The Hindu - Science
NASA’s June 30, 2026 LINK mission to rescue Swift telescope: first-of-its-kind satellite servicing test
NASA and Katalyst launched the LINK robotic mission on June 30, 2026 to save the Swift space telescope from atmospheric re-entry.
Key highlights
Direct fact
On June 30, 2026, NASA planned to launch the LINK robotic rescue mission from a Pacific Ocean atoll aboard the Pegasus rocket to save the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, a telescope launched in 2004 and originally designed for a two-year mission.
Key specifics
- The rescue spacecraft was developed by the U.S. startup Katalyst.
- The mission aims to move Swift about 300 kilometers higher into a stable orbit.
- Swift operates in low Earth orbit at an altitude of approximately 600 kilometers.
- The projected cost of the rescue mission is $30 million, compared with the telescope’s original cost of $250 million.
- The robot will use three movable arms to latch onto the telescope and tow it for at least a month.
Exam lens
Science and technology question: NASA, Katalyst, LINK, Pegasus, Swift Observatory, 2004 launch, 600 km orbit, $30 million rescue cost. TNPSC may ask why low Earth orbit satellites lose altitude and how satellite servicing could create a new model.