Company sought practice for future satellite servicing missions
Katalyst Space Technologies’ Link spacecraft approached NASA’s Swift Observatory last weekend and captured photographs of the aging telescope more than a week after the rescue had been officially abandoned, before turning away because of low fuel, the company told The Associated Press this week.
The three-armed robotic salvager was originally dispatched to boost Swift into a higher, longer-lasting orbit so the observatory could continue observing the cosmos. With its remaining fuel reserves exhausted, Link could not perform the planned boost, and the mission ended without raising the telescope from its slow descent.
During the close approach, Link used its own sensors to gather data on the aging telescope for NASA, according to Katalyst. The company said the flyby demonstrated capabilities it wanted to put into practice for future satellite service calls, even though the Swift rescue had already been called off weeks earlier.
“We got so close, but so far,” Katalyst CEO Ghonhee Lee told The Associated Press this week.
The Link spacecraft had launched toward Swift in July but went into an uncontrollable spin shortly after rocketing to the telescope’s rescue. Flight controllers managed to reduce the tumble and stabilize the vehicle, but the recovery maneuver consumed precious fuel. By the time Link approached Swift last weekend, the remaining supply was insufficient to complete the planned orbital boost.
The rescue effort had already been called off in August because of Link’s own troubles in orbit. Katalyst continued the approach, telling AP the company wanted the practice for future satellite service calls.
Swift remains in its original orbit after the mission could not boost the observatory to a higher, longer-lasting trajectory.