NASA to Launch Rescue Mission June 30 to Save Swift Space Telescope

NASA is launching a rescue mission on June 30 using the final flight of a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket. The mission will send the LINK satellite, built by Katalyst Space Technologies, to grapple the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and tow it to a stable orbit. Swift, launched in 2004 to study gamma-ray bursts, faces destruction as its orbit decays due to increased atmospheric drag. LINK will use robotic arms to capture Swift and ion thrusters to raise its orbit. This is the first private attempt to rescue a U.S. government satellite, costing NASA only $30 million.