The LINK spacecraft will launch on June 30 aboard a Pegasus XL rocket from an airplane and will attempt to latch onto NASA's long-time space observatory, which has lost altitude due to increased atmospheric drag. Three ion engines will gradually lift it into a higher orbit, potentially extending its operation for years.
NASA Preparing for an extraordinary rescue operation in space. A robotic service satellite named LINK Scheduled to go into orbit, approach the Neil Gerles Space Observatory Swift, hold onto it with three arms and gradually raise it to a safer path.
The launch is scheduled for no earlier than Tuesday, June 30, 2026, from Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. LINK will be carried aboard a rocket Pegasus XL, to be released at high altitude from a Northrop Grumman Stargazer aircraft.
The mission is designed to save a space observatory that is still functioning well scientifically but is losing altitude. If successful, the operation could not only extend Swift's life but also demonstrate a new way to handle satellites that were not originally scheduled for repair or refueling in space.
An old telescope that still plays a central role
Swift was launched in November 2004 to investigate Gamma ray bursts – one of the most powerful explosions in the universe. It carries three instruments that allow it to detect an eruption, quickly turn toward it, and observe it in X-rays, ultraviolet light, and visible light.
This ability has made it a kind of early warning system for astronomers. When it detects a brief, transient event, it broadcasts its location to other observers on the ground and in space, so they can quickly begin follow-up observations.
Over more than two decades, Swift has detected more than 1,700 gamma-ray bursts. It has also been used to study supernovae, black holes, neutron stars, comets, galaxies, and gravitational wave events.
Although the mission was originally planned for a much shorter period, the instruments are still operational. The problem is the trajectory.
Solar activity accelerated the loss of height
Even at an altitude of hundreds of kilometers, Earth's atmosphere does not completely disappear. Thin molecules create drag that gradually slows spacecraft in low orbit and causes them to lose altitude.
Satellites equipped with engines can correct their orbits. Swift does not have a propulsion system that would allow it to perform an independent orbit raise.
The problem has been exacerbated by increased solar activity. Radiation and flares from the sun heat the upper layers of the atmosphere and cause them to expand. As a result, drag increases at the altitudes where Swift flies.
At the end of 2025, NASA calculations showed that the observatory could fall below a critical altitude of about 298 kilometers as early as the summer of 2026. From there, the descent could accelerate until it enters the atmosphere and burns up.
Making the telescope more "aerodynamic"
To buy time, the operations team changed the way Swift was operated. Instead of choosing targets solely based on their scientific importance, they also chose pointing directions that reduced the spacecraft's surface area in the thin atmospheric flow.
The team also reduced power consumption and adjusted the solar panels to create less drag. Some scientific observations were temporarily suspended to keep the spacecraft at the required altitude until LINK arrived.
According to the updated forecasts, these measures should keep Swift above the critical height at least until the fall. However, this is not a permanent solution.
A rocket launched from under an airplane
LINK will be launched using the Pegasus XL, a three-stage, solid-fueled, air-launched rocket.
The Stargazer, a modified version of the L-1011 airliner, will take off with Pegasus attached underneath its fuselage. At an altitude of about 12 kilometers, the rocket will be released, fall for a few seconds, and then ignite its first engine.
The method allows the launch point and flight direction to be chosen based on the target trajectory. In this case, launching from the equator helps achieve a low-inclination trajectory similar to Swift's.
The plane, rocket, and satellite were transported from NASA's Wallops Facility in Virginia to Kwajalein Atoll, arriving there on June 25.
Three arms and three ion engines
LINK was built by the company Catalyst Space On an unusual schedule. NASA contracted with the company in September 2025, leaving less than a year for planning, construction, testing, and launch.
The spacecraft weighs about 400 kilograms. It is equipped with three robotic arms, three xenon-fueled ion engines, and solar panels that are about six meters long in total.
After launch, LINK will undergo several weeks of testing. Engineers will test its electrical, sensor, navigation, and propulsion systems before allowing it to approach Swift.
LINK will then take close-up photos of the observatory. The inspection is essential because Swift has been in space for more than 20 years, and engineers need to make sure the planned anchor points are not damaged.
Only after the images and data are confirmed will LINK approach, spread its arms, and grab the telescope.
A slow climb to a route of approximately 600 kilometers
Once connected, LINK will activate its ion engines. These engines provide relatively weak thrust, but can operate for a long time and change course efficiently.
The process of raising Swift is expected to take several months. The target is an orbit at an altitude of nearly 600 kilometers, similar to the orbit in which the observatory operated in its early days.
After the upload is complete, LINK is scheduled to detach from Swift. It will then re-enter the atmosphere and end its operations, while the observatory can return to scientific observations.
The teams hope the new orbit will add many more years of operation to Swift. However, NASA emphasizes that this is a high-risk mission: Swift was not designed to dock with another spacecraft, and any mistake in approaching or holding it could damage it.
A test for the space service industry
Beyond saving one observatory, the mission is a test of orbital servicing technology. Many expensive satellites end their lives not because their instruments malfunction, but because they run out of fuel or their orbits change.
In the future, robotic service spacecraft may move satellites to new orbits, refuel them, repair components, or remove them in a controlled manner at the end of their lives.
The Hubble Space Telescope previously received maintenance and orbit lifts from astronauts on the space shuttles. Since the retirement of the shuttles, NASA has not had a similar capability for routine maintenance of unmanned satellites.
If LINK manages to latch onto Swift and lift it off, it would be an important demonstration of commercial service for a government spacecraft that was not prepared in advance for such a mission.
Questions and Answers
Why is Swift losing altitude?
The thin atmosphere in low orbit creates drag that slows it down. Increased solar activity warmed and expanded the upper atmosphere, accelerating the descent.
Why doesn't Swift elevate herself to a higher plane?
It is not equipped with a propulsion system capable of making significant trajectory corrections.
How will LINK connect to it?
The spacecraft will first photograph Swift and check its condition. It is then supposed to grab onto it using three robotic arms.
How long will it take to upload the route?
After several weeks of testing and getting closer, the actual track elevation is expected to take several months.
How high will Swift be lifted?
The target is close to 600 kilometers, compared to the critical altitude of about 300 kilometers to which it approached.
Does the mission guarantee that Swift will be saved?
No. NASA defines it as a high-risk, high-potential-reward mission. Swift was not designed to be serviced in space, so the approach and capture are particularly complex.
For the official NASA publication
More on the subject on the science website
- NASA embarks on a space rescue operation: Robotic spacecraft will try to save the Swift telescope
- NASA is testing a more flexible “space internet”: spacecraft that will move between communication networks
- Swift is ready to detect gamma ray bursts
- New Glenn launcher explosion: A blow to Blue Origin – and a warning sign for the moon return plan
- The launch of the Roman space telescope to search for extrasolar planets could take place as early as September 2026
