The cost of the mission is 30 million dollars, and it aims to give the telescope, which is gradually descending towards the Earth, a new opportunity to continue the work of monitoring some of the most violent phenomena in the universe.
The spacecraft “Link”, developed by Catalyst Space Technologies, was launched from the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean, aboard a small Pegasus rocket, which in turn was launched from a modified aircraft.
The vehicle’s journey is expected to take about a month to reach an orbit close to the Swift telescope, before it begins a series of complex maneuvers to determine its location, orbit it, and then dock with it using three robotic arms.
After the successful docking, the robot will attempt to gradually push the telescope into a higher orbit to avoid vibrations that could damage its sensitive devices, in a process expected to take at least a month.
Swift, which weighs about 1.6 tons, is currently orbiting at an altitude of about 360 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, while the mission seeks to raise it by about 240 to 300 kilometers and return it to an orbit close to its original location.
The cost of the telescope was about $250 million, and it is used to study gamma-ray bursts, which are among the most powerful explosions known in the universe, as well as exploding stars and other astronomical phenomena.
Sean Domagal Goldman, director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA, said the process includes “a lot of precedents,” adding, “I’m very grateful that we even embarked on the mission.”
If the mission is successful, Swift could return to observing the universe by September, and the operation could also open the door to saving other satellites and telescopes and extending their operational lives.
Among the potential candidates for a similar mission in the future is the Hubble Space Telescope, which is also experiencing a gradual decrease in the height of its orbit.
NASA is racing against time to save Swift, as the agency expects that without raising its orbit, it could collapse and burn up in the atmosphere by October.
