Rescue Mission for Aging Space Telescope

Dover News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jun 28, 2026 · 2m

NASA’s aging Swift Observatory, launched in 2004, is plummeting toward Earth due to solar interference—and a daring $30 million rescue mission is about to launch to save it. Built by startup Katalyst Space Technologies, a robotic spacecraft will chase down Swift, boost it into a stable orbit, and keep it alive until September. This isn’t just a last-ditch effort to save a telescope—it’s a historic first for American robotics in space, proving in-orbit servicing is possible. If successful, it could pave the way for servicing Hubble by 2028 and revolutionize how we maintain satellites for…