Source: Fortune
Summary
NASA is launching a $30 million rescue mission to save the Swift Observatory, a telescope that has been scanning the cosmos since 2004. The telescope is sinking faster due to intense solar activity and needs to be boosted to a higher orbit to survive. A robotic spacecraft built by Katalyst Space Technologies will chase after Swift and raise its orbit to 373 miles. The mission is expected to take a few months, and if successful, Swift could be back in business by September. NASA is also considering a similar rescue mission for the Hubble Space Telescope, which is also losing altitude.
Our Reading
The strategy enters a familiar phase.
NASA is racing against time to save Swift, with a robotic rescuer that will rendezvous with the telescope and raise its orbit. The mission is a first for the US, with only China having attempted a similar feat before. Katalyst Space Technologies is leading the charge, with a next-generation robot that could potentially save the Hubble Space Telescope in a couple of years. The company sees this mission as a jumping-off point for a new repair business in space, with hundreds of robots potentially orbiting the Earth to fix and refuel satellites.
The numbers tell one story: $30 million for the salvage operation, 1.6 tons of robotic spacecraft, and 40 feet of solar wingspan. But the real story is about the potential for a new era of space repair and maintenance, with NASA and private companies like Katalyst leading the way.
Author: Evan Null
