Rescue mission for Swift
NASA has dispatched an emergency flight to keep the Swift space telescope from a premature re‑entry into Earth’s atmosphere. The observatory, operational since 2004, is gradually losing altitude due to atmospheric drag.
A Pegasus launch vehicle will perform its final flight, carrying a dedicated retrieval capsule designed to rendezvous with Swift and lift it to a safer orbit.
The launch took place from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. After lift‑off, the Pegasus booster will place the capsule into a low‑Earth orbit, where it will chase down Swift and transfer the satellite to a higher, more stable trajectory.
The operation demands precise navigation, as the capsule must intercept the moving telescope. Engineers have run extensive simulations to fine‑tune the rendezvous burns.
- Launch time: 03:45 UTC
- Launch site: Vandenberg Space Force Base
- Rescue vehicle: Pegasus retrieval capsule
- Target orbit: 550 km altitude
A successful outcome will allow Swift to continue its high‑energy astrophysics program, monitoring gamma‑ray bursts and supernovae. Failure would mark the end of one of the longest‑running space observatories.