The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, or Swift, is a NASA satellite that studies gamma-ray bursts and helps us see other cosmic objects and events. It’s about a 1.5-ton satellite that has captured a lot of data, and unfortunately, it’s falling back to Earth sooner than expected.
To prevent Swift from falling out of orbit, NASA is partnering with Katalyst Space and Northrop Grumman to launch a robotic servicing device named LINK. NASA will help launch the robot on June 30, 2026, around 6:23 a.m. EDT.
“Swift is NASA’s multitool when it comes to studying the cosmos,” said S. Bradley Cenko, principal investigator of Swift at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, in a press release. “It observes the sky using a wide range of light and rapidly points at short-lived outbursts, alerting other facilities in space and on the ground to help coordinate follow-up observations. For the last two decades, Swift has been a key player in NASA’s efforts to understand how the universe works, and we’re looking forward to getting back to that work after the boost is complete.”
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Why Is Swift Falling Back to Earth?
Swift originally launched on Nov. 20, 2004, and has been orbiting Earth ever since. Swift, like other low-Earth-orbit spacecraft, does experience drag from Earth’s atmosphere. One factor that can increase drag is solar radiation.
NASA analysts in November 2023 calculated two possibilities for the craft: that atmospheric drag would likely cause the satellite to fall back to Earth sometime in the 2030s, or that it would fall in the next two years. However, the sun then reached its solar maximum phase in 2024, according to NASA, triggering intense solar storms. Data collected and analyzed from NASA, NOAA, and the U.S. Space Force then showed that Swift would likely fall back to Earth as early as 2026.
Since Swift lacked any propulsion system to keep it in orbit and NASA did not want to lose the satellite, a plan was hatched. To keep the Swift in space, it would need to stay at least 185 miles above the planet, though NASA wants it higher. NASA put out a call to private institutions for solutions, and Katalyst Space was awarded a contract in September of 2025.
What Is LINK? And How Will It Help Swift?
Once Katalyst Space had the green light, they got to work on a spacecraft called LINK. This spacecraft weighs about 880 pounds, according to NASA, and stands at about 5 feet — which is about a third of the size of Swift. LINK has about 20 feet of solar panels, which will help to power the craft’s three ion thrusters and three robotic arms.
Once LINK launches — on a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket — it will meet up with Swift and latch on to the falling satellite with a grapple. Once secured, LINK will slowly begin to raise Swift over the course of several months away from Earth’s atmosphere.
Katalyst built and tested LINK in less than a year, and if the mission succeeds, it could help develop the tools needed for future spacecraft rescue missions.
"Swift wasn't designed to be serviced," said Ghonhee Lee, CEO of Katalyst, in the press release. "By demonstrating we can quickly and cost-effectively extend its lifetime, we're creating a blueprint for servicing spacecraft that were never designed for on-orbit maintenance. If we're going to build an enduring presence beyond Earth, we need the capability to manipulate our environment in space. That means deploying robotic spacecraft that can reposition, repair, refuel, and refit satellites after launch.”
Once LINK reaches orbit, the Katalyst team on the ground will test and commission the spacecraft for several weeks before it eventually meets up with Swift and helps move it to about 370 miles above Earth.
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Article Sources
Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:
- This article references information from NASA: Partners, NASA Ready for June Launch of Swift Boost Mission
- This article references information from NASA: NASA Predicts Swift Spacecraft’s Location for Boost Mission
