NASA launches Link mission to save Swift space telescope : GS TIMES IAS-PCS

NASA has initiated a mission to extend the operational life of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory by raising its orbit.

On 3 July 2026, Northrop Grumman launched Link satellite, developed by Katalyst Space Technologies, aboard a Pegasus rocket from the Marshall Islands.
The Link spacecraft is expected to rendezvous with the Swift Observatory within about one month and raise its orbit by approximately 240 km.
The mission aims to prevent Swift from re-entering Earth’s atmosphere after its orbit decayed due to recent solar storms, which had put it at risk of burning up by October 2026.
NASA has invested approximately US$30 million in the rescue mission.

About the Swift Observatory

Launched in 2004, the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is a space telescope designed to detect and study Gamma-ray bursts, exploding stars (supernovae), Black holes, Neutron stars, and other high-energy cosmic phenomena.
Swift rapidly detects gamma-ray bursts and automatically points its onboard telescopes towards them for detailed multi-wavelength observations.

About Pegasus Launch Vehicle