Audacious mission to rescue NASA's falling telescope has launched

NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is falling due to atmospheric drag from solar flares, dropping its altitude from 600 kilometres to 375 kilometres since launch in 2004. Katalyst Space Technologies launched the LINK satellite on a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket on July 3 to grab and boost Swift back to orbit using robotic arms. This rescue operation aims to extend Swift's operational life by up to ten years while demonstrating cost-effective servicing for future satellites like Hubble.