NASA Launches $30 Million Operation to Save Aging Swift Telescope from Crashing to Earth

NASA is preparing for a massive operation to save the aging Swift telescope from crashing to Earth. The operation, which will begin this week, will use a robotic 'rescue vehicle' to move the telescope to a higher and more stable orbit. The Swift telescope has been in operation since 2004, detecting gamma-ray bursts in the universe. However, due to increased solar activity, its orbit has been rapidly declining. Currently at an altitude of approximately 360 kilometers, the telescope is expected to reach the critical 297 km threshold by October. If it falls below this level, it will become impossible to rescue. NASA has partnered with Katalyst Space Technologies to develop a specialized spacecraft. The spacecraft, launched from the Marshall Islands via a Pegasus rocket, will take about a month to rendezvous with the Swift telescope and several months to raise it to a new orbit 600 km high. The spacecraft will grasp the 1.6-ton telescope with its three arms, each equipped with clamps resembling Lego minifigure hands. NASA Astrophysics Director Shawn Domagal-Goldman stated, 'Nobody thought this would be possible. We're even surprised to have made it this far.' Only China has previously attempted a similar operation, successfully launching a satellite into a higher orbit four years ago. This gives hope for the 36-year-old Hubble Space Telescope, which may also be rescued by Katalyst's next-generation robot in 2028.