Media are invited to NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Wednesday, June 17, to view Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL rocket, carrying a Katalyst robotic spacecraft that will attempt to boost the orbit of NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory.

Katalyst’s robotic servicing spacecraft, called LINK, will launch on Pegasus in June to rendezvous with Swift and raise its altitude, extending its science mission lifespan.

Both United States and international media may apply for onsite credentials to view the Pegasus and the L-1011 Stargazer aircraft that will deploy the rocket at launch. In addition to interview opportunities on site, media also will receive images and video of LINK, as the spacecraft already will be encapsulated in the rocket.

NASA and Katalyst also will host an audio-only media teleconference on June 17 to preview the mission to boost Swift’s orbit. Audio of the media teleconference will stream live on NASA’s YouTube channel. Information about timing and teleconference participants will be shared closer to the event.

The application deadline for U.S. citizens to attend in person is 4 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, June 10. International media without U.S. citizenship must apply by 3 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, May 27. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online.

Media requesting to participate in person or join the media call must send their accreditation requests to Amy Barra at: amy.l.barra@nasa.gov, with the following information:

• Legal first and last name (must match government identification)
• Email
• Phone number
• Job title and organization
• Citizenship

The Swift mission, which launched in 2004, leads NASA’s fleet of space telescopes in studying changes in the high-energy universe. It studies gamma-ray bursts — the most powerful explosions in the universe — and other cosmic objects and events. When a rapid, sudden event takes place in the cosmos, Swift serves as a “dispatcher,” providing critical information that allows other “first responder” missions to follow up to learn more about how the universe works.

Learn more about the mission to boost Swift’s orbit at:

https://science.nasa.gov/mission/swift/swift-boost-mission

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Karen Fox / Alise Fisher
Headquarters, Washington
202-385-1287 / 202-358-2546
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov

Amy Barra
Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia
757-824-1579
amy.l.barra@nasa.gov