The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, or Swift, is NASA’s multitool, and it may be re-entering Earth's atmosphere sooner than hoped after an attempt to boost the craft was unsuccessful.

After massive efforts by NASA and Katalyst Space to send a robotic servicing device called LINK to help prevent Swift from falling out of Earth orbit, the agencies announced that the mission will not be able to capture or boost Swift to a higher altitude.

However, LINK will still attempt to rendezvous with Swift to test some of the mission's tools and capabilities for future use.

“NASA should be willing to move quickly and take smart risks when the potential return is worth it, and that is exactly what we did with this mission,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman in a press release.

“This is not the outcome we were working toward, but it does not change why this mission was worth attempting. The team moved with extraordinary speed to give Swift a chance to carry out more science while advancing capabilities America will need for satellite servicing in the future. We are going to learn everything we can from LINK’s rendezvous attempt and put those lessons to work on the missions that follow,” Isaacman added.

What Is NASA’s Swift?

Swift launched in November 2004 with a primary goal of studying gamma-ray bursts. The satellite, which weighs about 1.5 tons, also helps collect data on other cosmic events and objects. It really is a multitool, according to NASA.

However, because it is in low Earth orbit, it does experience drag from our atmosphere and some solar activity. And that drag is now bringing the craft back to Earth.

NASA teamed up with Katalyst Space to create something that could possibly boost Swift into a higher orbit. LINK was supposed to launch into space, rendezvous with Swift, and attach to it with a grapple. From there, LINK was set to slowly lift Swift to a higher altitude, according to NASA.

What Are the Mission’s Next Steps?

After LINK launched on July 3, 2026, ground teams were able to establish communication with the craft. The team ran in-orbit checks, but the craft unfortunately experienced attitude control issues.

Though the mission will not go as intended, NASA and Katalyst are still hoping to collect valuable data, which may be used for future missions.

“We knew this was a high-risk, high-reward mission — a first-of-its-kind attempt, developed on an unprecedented timeline driven by the sun’s activity,” said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director, Astrophysics Division, NASA Headquarters in Washington, in the press release.

“We were all hoping for more science from Swift. But we knew the takeaways from this mission would be worthwhile either way, and we have gained so much through the series of accomplishments up to this point.”

What Comes Next for Swift?

After over 20 years in space, Swift will likely re-enter Earth’s atmosphere in the latter part of 2026, unless there is some other intervention, according to NASA. Though the craft’s mission may soon come to a close, the agency still plans to study its data while using other ongoing missions to fill in the gaps until a replacement can be found.

“Building, testing, and operating this mission has already strengthened America’s space industry pipeline, advancing in-space servicing capabilities in completely new ways,” Domagal-Goldman said.

“NASA is committed to supporting our commercial vendors as they take on difficult tasks with the agency, to push the boundaries of what’s possible. We’re so proud of this team for getting to the launch pad in record time, in a record-setting year for NASA astrophysics launches; its innovative problem-solving up to this point; and the dedication to the exciting capabilities this mission will attempt to demonstrate next.”

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Article Sources

Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:

• This article references information from NASA: NASA Updates Next Steps for Commercial Swift Boost Mission
• This article references information from NASA: Partners, NASA Ready for June Launch of Swift Boost Mission
• This article references information from NASA: NASA Predicts Swift Spacecraft’s Location for Boost Mission