NASA squeezed Treasury, vibe coded, and broke the mold in bid to save Swift
Summary
NASA tried to save the $500 million Swift Observatory, which was losing its orbit, by hiring Katalyst Space Technologies to build and launch a rescue satellite named Link. Although Link launched successfully, it malfunctioned and failed to reach Swift, leading NASA to stop the rescue mission, but the effort showed new ways to do quick satellite repairs.Key Facts
- Swift Observatory was launched in 2004 and is losing altitude due to lack of propulsion and atmospheric drag.
- NASA contracted Katalyst Space Technologies last September for $30 million to build a rescue satellite in nine months.
- The rescue satellite, Link, launched on July 3 and initially worked but later malfunctioned and spun out of control.
- The mission was aborted in August after it became clear Link could not reach Swift.
- Swift detects gamma-ray bursts by combining gamma rays, X-rays, and visible light sensitivity.
- Increased solar activity has caused more atmospheric drag, speeding up Swift’s orbit decay.
- NASA limited the rescue bids to companies already under contract, which slowed the selection process.
- NASA is reviewing lessons to prepare better for possible future satellite rescue missions.
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