Rescue mission is called off for NASA’s aging Swift space telescope

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The mission to rescue NASA's aging Swift space telescope failed on Wednesday, leaving the telescope to reenter Earth's atmosphere and burn up later this year. NASA and private company Katalyst Space Technologies announced the mission's end more than a month after Katalyst's Link spacecraft launched to save Swift.

However, Katalyst determined Link could not capture or boost Swift to a safer orbit due to control issues with the spacecraft. NASA paid $30 million to Katalyst to attempt the rescue, but intense solar activity caused Swift to lose altitude faster than anticipated. The telescope, launched in 2004, was orbiting at 214 miles high as of Wednesday and was set to plunge through the atmosphere after over two decades of observing cosmic events.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated the outcome was not what was hoped for, but the mission's attempt was valuable. Katalyst will keep Link in orbit near Swift to demonstrate capabilities for future rescue operations. Swift's science instruments were shut down earlier this year to slow its descent.