Failed private rescue spacecraft reenters Earth atmosphere after mission to save NASA telescope ends

A robotic spacecraft built to rescue an aging NASA telescope reentered Earth's atmosphere overnight, ending a thirty-million-dollar salvage mission. Katalyst Space Technologies confirmed the destruction of its three-armed vehicle, named Link, less than three months after its launch from Cape Canaveral. Launched on July 3, Link aimed to grab the twenty-two-year-old Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and push it into a higher orbit. Severe solar activity had caused the telescope to plunge toward Earth faster than expected. To buy time, NASA stopped telescope observations early this year and adjusted its position to slow down atmospheric drag. Soon after launch, Link suffered electronic failures that knocked out a pair of its three crucial turning wheels. A faulty valve later caused the satellite to spin wildly and cut off communication. Although engineers fixed the spin, the vehicle lacked enough fuel to complete the rescue, forcing teams to cancel the project in August. Before reentering, flight controllers used the final weeks to test the three-foot robot arms and brought the rescue craft within twelve to fifteen kilometres of Swift to take photos. Katalyst CEO Ghonhee Lee stated that the company gained a solid foundation of lessons for future recovery projects, despite the ambitious timeline. NASA official Shawn Domagal-Goldman noted that the effort offered valuable practice for upcoming satellite rescues. Swift has resumed scanning the universe and is expected to reenter the atmosphere in early November. Launched in 2004 for three hundred sixty-four million dollars, the observatory quickly pivots to spot gamma ray bursts and exploding stars, acting as a lookout for other telescopes. NASA is now trying to figure out how to fill the upcoming gap in its observations.