On April 14, engineers from Katalyst Space Technologies arrived at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, to begin environmental tests of the company’s LINK robotic servicing spacecraft in preparation for its launch later this year.

NASA contracted Katalyst, based in Flagstaff, Arizona, to raise the orbit of the agency’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory before it re-enters Earth’s atmosphere.

“It’s only been about seven months since NASA awarded Katalyst a contract to attempt to boost Swift with the company’s LINK satellite,” said S. Bradley Cenko, Swift’s principal investigator at NASA Goddard. “Combined with our changes to science operations, the teams are creating the best opportunity possible to extend Swift’s lifetime and continue its legacy of cosmic exploration.”

All spacecraft in low Earth orbit experience drag caused by our planet’s atmosphere, which gradually reduces their altitudes if they do not have propulsion systems to maintain their positions. A recent bout of increased solar activity magnified this effect on Swift, which began to sink faster than anticipated.

NASA is working with Katalyst to boost the 21-year-old observatory to its original orbit, pioneering a new servicing capability for the nation’s spacecraft fleet and allowing Swift to resume science observations.

In February, the Swift team suspended the operation of its Ultraviolet/Optical and X-ray telescopes to reduce drag and slow the spacecraft’s orbital decay. The change extended the available timeline for attempting boost operations by several months.

On April 7, the team also halted observations by Swift’s Burst Alert Telescope to reduce power consumption. This allows operations personnel to further reduce drag by optimally positioning the satellite’s solar panels.

“Swift is still producing valuable scientific data, and we have a way to preserve that while setting a blueprint for how we operate in space,” said Ghonhee Lee, Katalyst’s chief executive officer. “The Swift boost mission is designed to extend the life of an existing spacecraft, one not designed for servicing, quickly and cost effectively. NASA is leading the shift toward more flexible ways of operating in space by working with companies like Katalyst to get more out of its missions and deliver the best return for taxpayers.”

Katalyst will move forward with LINK’s vibration and thermal tests using NASA Goddard’s in-house facilities in the coming weeks before installation into Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus rocket at the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

To learn more about the Swift mission, visit: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/swift/

By Jeanette Kazmierczak
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

Media contacts:
Alise Fisher
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-2546

Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
301-286-1940