Episode Details

NASA’s last-ditch effort to save the aging Swift space telescope has failed — the rescue mission, led by Katalyst Space Technologies, can’t save it from a fiery reentry later this year. Launched in 2004 and instrumental in studying cosmic explosions, Swift is now plummeting toward Earth after losing altitude faster than expected due to solar storms. The $30 million rescue spacecraft, Link, launched in July but suffered uncontrollable spin and orientation issues. Despite the setback, NASA says the mission was still worth trying — a bold reminder of space’s unpredictable nature. Katalyst plans to use Link as a testbed for future satellite rescues, while the failure also casts doubt on whether other aging satellites like Hubble might one day be saved.

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