{
  "id": 18266,
  "title": "Here's how engineers plan to save the satellite sent to save NASA's Swift mission",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/01/heres-how-engineers-plan-to-save-the-satellite-sent-to-save-nasas-18266",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-01T18:20:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ars Technica Science",
    "slug": "ars-technica-science",
    "url": "https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/08/heres-how-engineers-plan-to-save-the-satellite-sent-to-save-nasas-swift-mission/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A week ago, a satellite named Link, tasked with rescuing NASA's $500 million Swift gamma-ray observatory, encountered significant issues over 200 miles above Earth. The Link satellite, built by Katalyst Space Technologies, began spinning uncontrollably on multiple axes and lost communication with ground control. Two of its three reaction wheels, crucial for pointing, ceased functioning. Engineers later found that one of Link's cold gas thrusters, designed for precise attitude control, was malfunctioning. Katalyst Space Technologies secured the $30 million contract from NASA to reach the Swift observatory, attach to it, and raise its orbit before succumbing to atmospheric drag.",
  "summary": "\"We believe that a capture of Swift, an attempted capture of Swift, is very much in the cards.\"",
  "key_points": [
    "Link satellite spins uncontrollably, loses communication.",
    "Two of three reaction wheels fail, crucial for pointing.",
    "Cold gas thruster malfunction in Link's attitude control system."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Register",
        "title": "NASA's Swift rescue slips to late August as LINK battles its spin",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/07/31/nasas-swift-rescue-slips-to-late-august-as-link-battles-its-spin",
        "published": "2026-07-31T12:41:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Live Science",
        "title": "'We are not giving up yet': Private mission to rescue NASA's Swift telescope is spinning out of control, and engineers are racing to fix it",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/07/31/we-are-not-giving-up-yet-private-mission-to-rescue-nasas-swift",
        "published": "2026-07-31T16:13:50.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Ars Technica",
        "title": "Here's how engineers plan to save the satellite sent to save NASA's Swift mission",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/01/heres-how-engineers-plan-to-save-the-satellite-sent-to-save-nasas",
        "published": "2026-08-01T18:20:11.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}