LINK spacecraft gets close to NASA's Swift Observatory, but not close enough to save it
Operations aboard the Katalyst Space LINK satellite continue, despite the spacecraft's inability to complete its mission of boosting the orbit of NASA's Swift Observatory.
The LINK spacecraft, designed to boost the orbit of NASA's Swift Observatory, may have failed in its mission, but its manufacturer and operator, Katalyst Space, has not given up on the spacecraft. LINK was launched on July 3 aboard a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket, but began spinning uncontrollably about three weeks after reaching space.
NASA called off LINK's mission to rendezvous with Swift due to a thruster control issue. Despite this, LINK successfully fired all three of its electric propulsion thrusters and adjusted its orbit to fly within 7.5 to 9 miles of Swift. Katalyst and NASA are now working to perform technology demonstrations aboard the spacecraft to see if the technology can be used to service other satellites in the future.
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