NASA abandons mission to rescue Swift space telescope

NASA announced Wednesday that it was calling off a multimillion-dollar mission to rescue its aging Swift telescope before it reenters Earth’s atmosphere, citing difficulties controlling the spacecraft’s altitude.

NASA, in partnership with Katalyst Space Technologies, launched the LINK spacecraft last month in a risky effort to boost Swift’s orbit after intense solar activity sent the telescope ascending toward Earth.

The agency said the mission was called off because of problems controlling LINK’s altitude, but the spacecraft will still attempt a rendezvous with NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to test its readiness for future operations.

“This is not the outcome we were working toward, but it does not change why this mission was worth attempting,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said. “The team moved with extraordinary speed to give Swift a chance to carry out more science while advancing capabilities America will need for satellite servicing in the future.”

Swift was launched in 2004 to study powerful explosions such as gamma-ray bursts and other cosmic objects and phenomena. The spacecraft was designed for a two-year prime mission but operated for more than 21 years before its low-Earth orbit began decaying rapidly.

NASA saw the telescope’s deteriorating orbit as an opportunity to advance U.S. spacecraft-servicing capabilities, awarding Katalyst a $30 million contract in September 2025 to develop and launch a robotic servicing mission for Swift in less than a year.

This photo provided by NASA shows Kieran Wilson, LINK's principal investigator, and Hunter Robertson, a space systems engineer, both at Katalyst Space — This photo provided by NASA shows Kieran Wilson, LINKs principal investigator, and Hunter Robertson, a space systems engineer, both at Katalyst Space, standing next to their spacecraft inside the SES (Space Environment Simulator) at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., April 17, 2026, ahead of thermal vacuum testing. (Sophia Roberts/NASA via AP)

NASA expects Swift to reenter Earth’s atmosphere later this year. As part of its existing end-of-life planning for the telescope, the agency said it will continue looking for ways to rapidly respond to cosmic events while using current missions to help fill the gap left by Swift.

Katalyst CEO Ghonhee Lee described the effort as an ambitious, high-risk mission developed on an aggressive timeline.

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“We took on this high-risk, high-reward challenge and are proud of the milestones we reached along the way,” Lee said. “We have already learned a tremendous amount.”

Swift’s science instruments were shut down earlier this year to slow its descent. As of last week, the telescope was orbiting about 216 miles above Earth.