Hourly · 2026-06-25 09:00
NASA Just Bet $30M That a Startup Can Catch a Falling Telescope With Robot Arms
A tiny company built a spacecraft in 7 months to chase down and grab NASA's dying Swift Observatory before it burns up
NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is falling — its orbit decayed from 600 km to 370 km. Katalyst Space Technologies built a robotic spacecraft called LINK in 7 months to grab it with three robot arms and boost it back to safety. The $30M contract is a proof-of-concept for in-orbit servicing that could one day save Hubble. Launch: June 2026. Source: Science | AAAS
