NASA aborts mission to save dying space telescope

NASA aborts mission to save dying space telescope. Add Axios as your preferred source to.

Key points

• What's next: Swift is projected to burn up in Earth's atmosphere afterwards this year.
• Yes, but: LINK will still try to meet up with Swift and conduct "proximity operations" to learn as much as feasible concerning the concept of satellite relocation.
• Swift had fallen into an unstable orbit earlier than projected and has no propulsion system of its own to raise its orbit.
• "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."
• "We are going to learn everything we can from LINK's rendezvous attempt and put those lessons to work on the missions that follow."

Driving the news: NASA canceled the attempt after weeks of attitude control problems plagued LINK, a privately built spacecraft designed to rendezvous with Swift, grab on and push it to a higher, more stable orbit.

What they're saying: "This is not the outcome we were working toward, but it does not change why this mission was worth attempting, " NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman remarked in an official note.

NASA remarked in an official note: "As part of the agency's previous planning for Swift's end of life, NASA will continue to prioritize finding new options to react rapidly to cosmic events, using current missions to help fill the gap in the meantime."

Taken together, the developments around NASA aborts mission to save dying space telescope point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.