Katalyst Space and NASA Abandon Plans for Swift Reboost

The plans to use the Link spacecraft to raise the orbit of the Swift gamma-ray observatory have been abandoned by Katalyst Space and NASA. The decision was made due to ongoing attitude-control issues with the Link spacecraft.

The Link spacecraft was launched on July 3 on a Pegasus XL rocket to grapple Swift and raise its orbit. However, the spacecraft encountered problems shortly after launch, including a multi-axis spin caused by attitude-control problems. The spacecraft's reaction control system thrusters were only partially working, and two of its three reaction wheels were lost.

Despite efforts to slow down the spin, the company reported that the spacecraft's attitude-control issues persisted. The company installed new flight software on the spacecraft, but it was not enough to resolve the problems. Katalyst Space and NASA decided to call off the reboost mission, citing the ongoing attitude-control issues with the Link spacecraft.

The decision to abandon the reboost mission means the end of Swift, a spacecraft launched in 2004 to monitor gamma-ray bursts and other energetic astrophysical phenomena. The spacecraft is now orbiting between 343 and 347 kilometers in altitude, and NASA expects it to reenter later this year.

The reboost mission was a high-risk, high-reward endeavor that aimed to extend the life of the Swift spacecraft. NASA had awarded Katalyst a $30 million contract to carry out the reboost mission, repurposing a spacecraft the company had been developing for a low Earth orbit demonstration of its satellite servicing technology.

The company will use the remaining operations of Link to learn lessons that can be incorporated into its future satellite servicing missions. Katalyst was one of three selected by the Space Development Agency and Defense Innovation Unit on August 13 for study contracts to provide deorbiting services.

Lessons Learned

The decision to call off the reboost mission is a setback for the Swift spacecraft, but it also presents an opportunity for Katalyst Space to learn from its experiences. The company will use the remaining operations of Link to learn lessons that can be incorporated into its future satellite servicing missions.

The company's chief executive, Ghonhee Lee, said that Katalyst has already learned a tremendous amount from the mission and will use those lessons to build a repeatable playbook for future rendezvous and proximity operations and satellite servicing.

The End of Swift

The decision to abandon the reboost mission means the end of Swift, a spacecraft that has been in operation for over 18 years. The spacecraft was launched in 2004 to monitor gamma-ray bursts and other energetic astrophysical phenomena. NASA had effectively ended all science operations of Swift earlier this year as part of efforts to change the spacecraft's operating profile and reduce atmospheric drag.

The agency did not say whether it will try to reactivate those instruments for the spacecraft's final few months. However, NASA stated that it will continue to prioritize finding new options to react rapidly to cosmic events, using current missions to help fill the gap in the meantime.

Note: The table above shows the launch date and orbit altitude of the Swift and Link spacecraft. The orbit altitude of the Link spacecraft is not available as it was not launched into a stable orbit.