NASA abandons Swift space telescope rescue after servicing spacecraft Link fails in orbit

NASA abandoned its rescue mission for the Swift space telescope on Aug. 20, 2026, after the uncrewed servicing spacecraft Link suffered critical control failures following its launch in early August.

The agency and contractor Katalyst Space confirmed that Link, a 400-kilogram spacecraft equipped with three robotic arms and three main engines, began tumbling after launch due to hardware malfunctions in its attitude control system and engine issues, leading to a loss of radio contact. NASA had awarded Katalyst a $30 million contract in September 2025 to develop Link, which was intended to rendezvous with Swift and raise its orbit over several months.

Swift, a 2004-launched observatory with three telescopes, has studied gamma-ray bursts but has drifted from its original orbit due to geomagnetic storms triggered by solar activity. Without the rescue, NASA stated Swift will likely re-enter Earth’s atmosphere and burn up later this year. The satellite is currently in energy-saving mode.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the mission’s failure did not diminish its value. “This is not the outcome we worked toward, but it doesn’t change why it was worth attempting,” Isaacman said. Katalyst CEO Ghonlee Lee called the effort a “high-risk, high-reward” challenge and noted the team had achieved significant milestones despite the setback.

NASA and Katalyst are now evaluating whether Link can still perform secondary objectives, including a demonstration of close-proximity operations near Swift to prove its ability to hover near another spacecraft in orbit. Link was launched July 1 from an atoll in the Marshall Islands aboard a Pegasus rocket deployed from a Stargazer aircraft.

Swift’s data on gamma-ray bursts has been central to astrophysics research, and a successful rescue could have extended its operational life by up to five years, according to NASA scientists. The agency had described the mission as risky from the outset due to its tight timeline and technical complexity.