{"id":15844,"date":"2026-06-26T20:02:19","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T00:02:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zobi.alcowep.com\/bourtagshdrevxnls658739\/partners-nasa-ready-for-june-launch-of-swift-boost-mission\/"},"modified":"2026-06-26T20:02:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T00:02:19","slug":"partners-nasa-ready-for-june-launch-of-swift-boost-mission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zobi.alcowep.com\/bourtagshdrevxnls658739\/partners-nasa-ready-for-june-launch-of-swift-boost-mission\/","title":{"rendered":"Partners, NASA Ready for June Launch of Swift Boost Mission"},"content":{"rendered":"

Partners, NASA Ready for June Launch of Swift Boost Mission<\/h2>\n

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5 min read<\/p>\n

Partners, NASA Ready for June Launch of Swift Boost Mission<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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NASA is on a mission to lift its Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory along with partners Katalyst Space and Northrop Grumman. Watch to get a sneak peek.
Credit: NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center\/Katalyst Space\/Northrop Grumman<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A mission to raise the orbit of NASA\u2019s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is poised for launch no earlier than Tuesday, June 30, 6:23 a.m. EDT (10:23 p.m. UTC+12), from Kwajalein Atoll, part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific Ocean.<\/p>\n

A robotic servicing satellite called LINK, built by Katalyst Space, will blast into orbit on a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket<\/a>. LINK will rendezvous with, grapple, and slowly raise Swift\u2019s altitude over several months, preventing it from re-entering Earth\u2019s atmosphere later this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cSwift is NASA\u2019s multitool when it comes to studying the cosmos,\u201d said S. Bradley Cenko, principal investigator, Swift<\/a>, NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center<\/a> in Greenbelt, Maryland. \u201cIt observes the sky using a wide range of light and rapidly points at short-lived outbursts, alerting other facilities in space and on the ground to help coordinate follow-up observations. For the last two decades, Swift has been a key player in NASA\u2019s efforts to understand how the universe works, and we\u2019re looking forward to getting back to that work after the boost is complete.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Mosaic<\/a><\/figure>
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This mosaic of M31 merges 330 individual images taken by the Ultraviolet\/Optical Telescope aboard Swift. It is the highest-resolution image of the galaxy ever recorded in the ultraviolet. The image shows a region 200,000 light-years wide and 100,000 light-years high.<\/div>\n
NASA\/Swift\/Stefan Immler (GSFC) and Erin Grand (UMCP)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\n\t\t\tDownload high-resolution images and videos related to Swift through NASA\u2019s Scientific Visualization Studio.<\/span>
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Our planet\u2019s atmosphere creates drag on all spacecraft in low Earth orbit, gradually reducing their altitudes if they don\u2019t have propulsion systems to counteract the effect.<\/p>\n

A recent bout<\/a> of increased solar activity magnified this impact on Swift, which launched<\/a> in November 2004.<\/p>\n

Rather than allowing Swift to re-enter the atmosphere as many missions do, NASA is using the opportunity to advance the U.S. commercial satellite servicing industry.<\/p>\n

In September, the agency contracted<\/a> Katalyst to attempt to boost the observatory. The company would have less than one year to design, build, test, and launch a satellite to meet, grab, and lift Swift to nearly its original orbit.<\/p>\n

\u201cSwift wasn\u2019t designed to be serviced,\u201d said Ghonhee Lee, CEO of Katalyst. \u201cBy demonstrating we can quickly and cost-effectively extend its lifetime, we\u2019re creating a blueprint for servicing spacecraft that were never designed for on-orbit maintenance. If we\u2019re going to build an enduring presence beyond Earth, we need the capability to manipulate our environment in space. That means deploying robotic spacecraft that can reposition, repair, refuel, and refit satellites after launch.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Katalyst engineers attach LINK to a baseplate inside the Space Environment Simulator at NASA Goddard on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. Once all the air was pumped out of the 27-foot-diameter chamber, the team practiced firing the satellite\u2019s ion thrusters and operated one of the robotic arms while they cycled through space-like hot and cold temperatures.<\/div>\n
NASA\/Sophia Roberts<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The LINK spacecraft weighs about 880 pounds and stands about 5 feet tall, about a third of Swift\u2019s overall size. Nearly 20 feet of solar panels will power three ion thrusters and a trio of robotic arms.<\/p>\n

LINK completed environmental testing<\/a> that mimicked launch and space-like conditions at NASA Goddard this spring, as well as additional preflight assessments at Katalyst\u2019s facility in Broomfield, Colorado.<\/p>\n

For the boost to have its best chance of success, Swift needs to stay above an altitude of about 185 miles.<\/p>\n

By the end of last year, however, orbital predictions<\/a> generated by NASA showed the observatory reaching that threshold as early as July.<\/p>\n

To slow Swift\u2019s descent, the operations team<\/a> at Penn State\u2019s Eberly College of Science altered how they managed and oriented the spacecraft.<\/p>\n

Unlike during normal operating procedures, where Swift looks at spots on the sky that are scientifically interesting, the team now selects targets that steer Swift into the most streamlined position. They also reduced power consumption as much as possible to place the satellite\u2019s large solar panels in a more aerodynamic orientation.<\/p>\n

Recent orbital predictions show these changes will keep Swift above critical altitude until this fall.<\/p>\n

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Stargazer, Pegasus XL, and LINK await takeoff on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, at NASA\u2019s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Engineers control the temperature and humidity inside the nose cone of the rocket to keep the satellite and avionics safe from weather and changing environmental conditions during flight.<\/div>\n
NASA\/Ron Beard<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The satellite will launch aboard the Pegasus XL.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can deploy Pegasus from almost anywhere in the world using our Stargazer<\/a>, a modified L-1011 aircraft,\u201d said Wes Collier, vice president of launch systems at Northrop Grumman. \u201cThat combination of flexibility and responsive access to space will help LINK quickly reach Swift, giving the teams time to complete the boost.\u201d<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, engineers loaded LINK into the Pegasus XL and attached the rocket to Stargazer at NASA\u2019s Wallops Flight Facility<\/a> in Virginia. The aircraft and its payload departed<\/a> for Kwajalein Atoll on Thursday, June 18, where it now awaits launch.<\/p>\n

Once in orbit, LINK will undergo several weeks of commissioning as Katalyst evaluates the spacecraft\u2019s propulsion, navigation, and sensor systems. It then will slowly approach and survey Swift before grabbing the observatory with its robotic arms and slowly raising the orbit to nearly 370 miles.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a high-risk, high-reward mission,\u201d said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, division director, Astrophysics, NASA Headquarters<\/a> in Washington. \u201cSwift plays a notable role in our fleet. We have much to gain by attempting this boost, which is more affordable than trying to replace Swift\u2019s capabilities and allows NASA to advance the nation\u2019s satellite servicing industry, for the benefit of all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn more about the Swift boost at: <\/p>\n

https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/swift\/swift-boost-mission\/<\/a><\/p>\n

By Jeanette Kazmierczak<\/a>
Goddard Space Flight Center<\/a>, Greenbelt, Md.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Media contacts:
Alise Fisher<\/a>
Headquarters<\/a>, Washington
202-358-2546<\/strong><\/p>\n

Claire Andreoli<\/a>
Goddard Space Flight Center<\/a>, Greenbelt, Md.
301-286-1940<\/p>\n

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