Katalyst's LINK spacecraft closes to 15 km of NASA's Swift before running out of fuel
Katalyst Space Technologies' LINK spacecraft, whose mission to boost NASA's ageing Swift Observatory into a higher orbit was called off in August after an uncontrolled spin drained its fuel, still closed to within 15 kilometres of the telescope this week. NASA said LINK deployed all three robotic arms and fired its three electric thrusters together before breaking off; Katalyst estimates the spacecraft will deorbit within two to three weeks, having spent 30 million dollars in NASA funding on the servicing test.
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Katalyst's LINK closes to 15 km of Swift, then breaks off short of fuel
Katalyst Space Technologies' LINK spacecraft came within 15 kilometres of NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory this week, the closest approach of a servicing mission that had already been scaled back from its original goal. NASA's Swift mission blog confirmed that LINK will not close the distance further, after using its remaining fuel to raise its own orbit and align with Swift's path. NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said the outcome was not the one the agency expected, but called it exactly the kind of mission NASA should be flying, while Katalyst chief executive Ghonhee Lee summed up the attempt as one that came very close but narrowly fell short.[1], [2]
NASA says LINK tested robotic arms and thrusters during its close pass
NASA's account adds the technical detail behind the close pass: over the preceding days, LINK deployed all three of its robotic arms and fired all three electric propulsion thrusters at the same time, in what the agency described as a continuing technology demonstration rather than the abandoned rescue attempt. The spacecraft used xenon-fuelled thrusters to make the manoeuvres, and NASA published images from LINK's own cameras showing a solar panel in orbit and the thrusters firing together. NASA said LINK will not make any closer approach to Swift for the rest of its operational life.[2]
The scaled-back mission followed an August spin that drained LINK's fuel
The close pass followed a mission that had already changed shape. LINK launched in July to grapple Swift and boost the telescope into a higher, longer-lasting orbit, but fell into an uncontrollable spin soon after, and recovering from it used up the fuel the boost would have required. Katalyst called off the original rescue plan, which cost 30 million dollars in NASA funding, in August and kept only the rendezvous and data-gathering objectives. Swift itself is now expected to reenter the atmosphere between October and the end of the year as rising solar activity thickens the upper atmosphere, and LINK is expected to burn up within about a month of Swift.[1]
