NASA sends rescue spacecraft to boost Swift Observatory's decaying orbit

NASA's Swift Observatory, launched in 2004, is at risk of re-entering Earth's atmosphere as early as this year after recent solar storms pushed its orbit dangerously low. To prevent its destruction, NASA partnered with Katalyst Space Technologies to mount a rescue mission. The company's Link spacecraft launched on Friday with the objective of intercepting Swift, which lacks any onboard propulsion system. Link aims to raise Swift's current altitude of approximately 224 miles by around 150 miles to restore its original orbit. The mission presents significant technical challenges, as Link must match Swift's speed and use a three-armed mechanism to physically boost the unpowered satellite.